A Soul Eater Christmas Carol (Revised Edition)
by ThePizzadude93
Summary: (AU) Arachne Gorgon is a rich, bitter woman who hates Christmas and wants nothing to do with it. But then, on the night of Christmas Eve, she is visited by the ghost of her late sister Shaula, who warns her of what will happen if she doesn't change her ways. And so, Arachne is taken on a spiritual journey of redemption, and hopefully will learn about the true meaning of Christmas.
1. Chapter 1: Lady Arachne Gorgon

**(Based on the best-selling novella "A Christmas Carol" written by Charles Dickens)**

 **(I do not own Soul Eater, Soul Eater NOT!, or any other related names. All rights belong to Manga Entertainment, Madman Entertainment, Square Enix, and Atsushi Okubo)**

 **Please, remember to read, review, favorite, and follow.**

 **Oh man, oh man, oh man! I am SOOOOO excited now that Christmas is coming! And what better way to get ready for the holiday than to right a fan-fiction of one of my favorite anime's ever? Although, based on the title alone, you obviously know what this is gonna be about. But still, I am super excited to be writing this and I cannot wait to see what you guys think.**

 **So, just sit back, relax, and enjoy the first chapter of A Soul Eater Christmas Carol.**

 **(2018 Update. If you read a section of the story that you do not remember reading, please know that this story has recently been revised by the writer for the purpose of expanding character development and including scenes that never appeared in the original version. So please, enjoy)**

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 _"_ _Have a heart that never hardens, and a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts."_ **–** **Charles Dickens.**

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 **\- Chapter One -**

 **Lady Arachne Gorgon**

 **December 24** **th** **, Christmas Eve...**

Snowflakes gently fell from the cloud-filled sky above and onto the city streets below. It rarely ever snowed in Death City, considering that it was in the middle of the desert in Nevada. But this year, the city got very lucky. It was nearly 5:50 in the afternoon and many people roamed around for the many stores and giftshops that remained open for all to purchase presents just in time for the coming of Christmas, which was tomorrow morning, by the way. Along the streets were small groups of Christmas carolers who sang to their hearts content, whether it'd be Carol of the Bells or Deck the Halls. The children ran around in the snow, making snow angels, playing snowball fights, making snowmen, or sticking out their tongues and letting flakes fall into their mouths. Some of the adults carried paper or plastic bags, filled with gifts and wrapping paper and other assortments of Christmas themed products.

Yes, everything in Death City was looking splendid and merry today. Except for one certain individual who people did what they could to avoid as she walked down the city streets, carrying an essence of gloom and misery around her part. That certain individual was none other than the infamous and abhorrent Lady Arachne Gorgon.

I say that she is gloomy because it is very true; she had an extremely pale and flawless complexion, which would give one the impression that she was almost created entirely out of porcelain. She possessed quite a curvaceous figure, with an exquisite bust, a thin waist, and wide hips, truly a body no man on earth would dare refuse to lust after. She had long black hair, worn in an upwards manner with two long strands that framed either side of her face. She was dressed in a long blackish-purple coat with a thick gray-furred collar and she held a cane with a purple diamond on top.

As she continued to stroll down the street with the snow crunching beneath her feet, her manservant, Mosquito, a handsome young man with neatly combed, slick black hair, wearing a well-fitting, highly formalized black suit, accented by a traditional white cravat encircling his neck, strolled closely by her, holding a large black umbrella to protect her from the falling snow. Whereas Arachne, who was thirty-five years old, Mosquito was thirty-six and was about three inches taller than her.

As they both strode across the city plaza, Arachne gazed up at the decorations that littered the lampposts and buildings. Unlike everyone else, who showed great love and joy for the holidays, Arachne showed it with nothing but scorn and contempt. Whenever she looked at the toy stores that were lined with customers purchasing their gifts, she frowned in disgust at the thought of these people wasting their valuable money on worthless trinkets. Whenever she saw young children playing in the snow or sitting on Santa's lap in the city mall, she would form a scowl on her face, one that would make the Devil himself cower in fear. She would also flare her nostrils and sneer at the sight of a display of the Nativity scene. All of it was enough to make her sick.

In hindsight, there was hardly a woman in Death City as unpleasant as Lady Arachne Gorgon, who bitterly hated Christmas and everything that had to do with the festive season. The holiday meant less than nothing to her. Not a single word of cheer ever passed her lips.

People had always wondered why such a spiteful and unlikable woman such as her would show such loathing for a holiday where everyone laid down their own needs and gave whatever they had to someone who deserved the most happiness. Maybe it was because of her upbringing that forbade any form of celebration within her family? Or perhaps it was because Christmas was ruined for her at one point in her life and now wanted to ruin it for everyone else? But still, whatever the reason may be, Arachne Gorgon hated everything to do with Christmas, with a capital "H". Not only that, but because of her imposing-like stature as an upper-class woman, along with her attitude towards the holidays, she had also garnered quite the reputation for herself among the people of the city. The clothes that she would always dress in did not help, which made her appear all the more sinister-looking. For this, no one had dared to wish her a Merry Christmas.

Whenever people saw her coming down their way, they did what they could to avoid her direction as if she were infected by the plague, or better yet, as if she was the plague itself in human form. They would also try and turn around in hopes of avoiding gazing upon her black presents. And that was how Arachne liked it. And the children, though they did fear her, sang songs about her being similar to the likes of Scrooge, even other songs about how she was gloomy and very macabre, whom she actually was, though never to her face. It was also no secret that she was almost capable of violence, or so she would have you believe. One time, about two Christmas' ago, a small boy, who was simply playing outside with his friends, had accidentally stepped in front of her and made the mistake in looking up at her, making eye contact. Out of annoyance and frustration, she raised her cane, threatening to hit him.

"Out of my way, you piece of filth!" she snarled. The boy quickly scurried away, fearing what would have become his impending doom. But in truth, Arachne had never once inflicted physical harm on a living soul, for this was just a simple tactic to scare away anyone who dared to come within an arm's length toward her direction. Why would she use such a tactic? Well, as Machiavelli had once said, "It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both." That, and it was also because she would rather be left alone with nothing to cross her way, with nothing to trouble her.

As Arachne and Mosquito traversed through the plaza, a random beggar, who tried to warm himself up at the front wall of a corner store, spotted her and placed his hand out to her. This sudden action caused her to stop dead in her tracks and she eyed the beggar with annoyance in her eyes.

"Penny for the poor, my good lady?" he asked. Arachne sneered at his words and shoved his hand aside with her cane and then continued on her way, with Mosquito still following close by. After about five minutes later, Mosquito placed his free hand into his coat pocket, fearing that it might contract frostbite. After that, he then mustered up the courage to speak.

"If I may, Lady Arachne," he said.

"If you may what, Mosquito?" she answered, without turning around.

"Well, it's just that, how long are we to have this little stroll of ours?" he asked. "The cold is starting to get to me, and I'm afraid I might freeze to death." Without warning, the macabre-like aristocrat suddenly stopped. She then swiftly turned around and sternly faced her manservant. She pulled his hand out from his coat pocket and lifted it up.

"What is this, Mosquito?" she asked, tugging on the left sleeve of his shirt underneath his suit jacket. Mosquito became confused, but not wanting to make his master wait, quickly responded.

"A dress shirt, madam?" he said.

"And this?" she asked again, this time poking roughly at his vest.

"A waistcoat," he answered. And lastly, she grabbed the side of his suit jacket.

"And this?" she asked once again.

"A blazer, my Lady," he responded.

"All that which you are wearing are garments, Mosquito," she spoke. "Clothes created by mankind to protect us against the cold. And once they are bought and paid for, they are to be used indefinitely, for the sole purpose that which they are intended. I cannot afford to keep you warm at all times whenever we are out and about. Consider yourself lucky and grateful that you have the clothes you are wearing at all right now. You have absolutely no room to whine. Now, am I clear?" Mosquito frowned and lowered his head.

"Crystal, my Lady," he muttered. Arachne's dark lips formed into a straight line.

"Do not complain to me again," she stated as if she would to a child, "or else I will be forced to conclude that your services are no longer needed." Mosquito nodded lightly.

"Yes, madam," he muttered. After that was over, the two went on through the plaza as if nothing had happened. As the two neared her house, which was five blocks east of the city from their location, a sudden figure jumped next to her left side, causing Arachne to nearly jump out of her skin, but then she immediately relaxed once after she recognized said figure.

"Merry Christmas Eve, big sister!" the figure said, who was revealed to be a young woman. Arachne frowned and looked away.

"What do you want, Medusa?" she asked annoyedly, lightly clenching her teeth. Medusa snorted and smiled.

"Nice to see you too, Arachne," she said in a voice that was playfully sarcastic.

Medusa Gorgon Albarn was a young thirty-one-year-old woman with a fairly average physical build. Her facial features consisted of yellow eyes and short blonde hair, with two long strands extending downwards, framing either side of her face that entwined each other like that of a caduceus' snake to rest upon her chest. She also had a small nick on her left eyebrow. She was dressed in a black coat with white fur on the hems of her hoodie, collar, and the ends of her sleeves. She also wore a pair of tight-fitting black jeans and snow boots. In both of her hands were large plastic bags, most likely filled with presents. Presents? More like worthless junk, as Arachne would put it.

Now unlike Arachne, who was bitter and callous, her middle sister, Medusa was a kind and good-natured woman, and a hard-working mother and wife. Even to this day, people were still shocked by the fact that such a cheerful soul like Medusa was actually related to a terrible wretch like Arachne. Arachne eyed her younger sibling and her frown deepened.

"I assume that you are not here for a simple hello, am I right?" Arachne asked. "If you are planning on inviting me over to your place for Christmas dinner – again – I think you know what my answer is going to be." Medusa only shook her head at her older sibling's words.

"Come on, sis," she said. "It's almost Christmas. How can you hold such contempt for the most wonderful time of the year?"

"Since when was Christmas ever wonderful?" Arachne questioned and then sighed. "Sometimes I just do not understand you, Medusa. How can you be so happy and cheerful when you can barely afford enough to pay your bills?"

"Well, how can you be so glum and miserable," Medusa returned gaily, "when you are practically ten times richer than the city mayor?" Arachne grunted under her breath.

"I told you this before, Medusa," she said very clearly, making sure that her younger sister understood. "And I will tell you again; I am _not_ coming." Medusa's smile slowly turned into a small frown.

"Not even for Crona? He really misses you."

"She has a very strong point, my Lady," Mosquito piped up. "You really should consider your nephew's wellbeing." Arachne quickly turned around and shot her manservant a hard look.

"You will stay out of this, Mosquito!" she snapped. "This is a family matter! Besides, I do not recall asking you for your opinion. One more word from you, and you will celebrate Christmas out in the streets!" Mosquito bowed his head – more so out of fear at the thought of being fired.

"Yes, my Lady,"

"Oh, Arachne," Medusa said, shocked by her sister's hostility. "How can you be so hard on him like that? He's been faithful to you for years, and yet you treat him so poorly."

"Oh, come now, little sister," Arachne rebuffed. "I am just making sure that Mosquito knows his place. And besides, I do believe my nephew is better off without me in his life, and I most certainly can do without him in mine." Medusa let out a soft gasp at the amount of cruelty in her own sister's words. Finally having enough, Medusa, her patience now at a critical low, dropped her bag of groceries, grabbed Arachne by the left shoulder and forced her to look at the younger sibling. Medusa gave her older sister a very stern look.

"Now you listen to me, Arachne Gorgon," she began. "You may not like Christmas and what it's about, but being cruel and heartless to those who celebrate the season will not benefit anything for you but misery. You think that Christmas is all about 'buying things' and 'wasting money' and fulfilling the needs of the spoiled. You think that's all you see, but you know full well that that's not the case. Christmas is about spending time with family and the ones you love and care about.

"Christmas is a kind, forgiving, and charitable time," Medusa continued, "where people sacrifice their own selfish needs to help those who are much less fortunate than us. You used to believe in that. You used to care about other people and their wellbeing's, now you're scared of spending a single penny and you scold and hate people who do. Since when did money become more important then your own family? Just what in the world happened to you? What happened to my sister?" For a while, Arachne remained silent and stone-faced. Her frown deepened.

"She grew up and saw more important things in life," she grunted. "My wealth has kept me alive this long, and I do not intend on loosing it." Medusa let out a frustrated huff.

"You know, if Shaula was still alive, she'd be furious with you,"

A throbbing nerve appeared on the side of Arachne's temple and her fingers tightened around the head of her cane. It took the amount of utmost willpower she had to try and not strike her own sibling to the snow-covered ground for her insolence. This was very much the last thing she wanted, to be reminded of their dead sister, who died several years ago on this very day, the day of Christmas Eve. A memory Arachne would soon rather forget about as much as possible. Her hardened face still remained on Medusa until she finally spoke again.

"Are we just about finished here?" she asked through clenched teeth. "I have to get home now."

"What for? To drown your misery in expensive wine? Is that really your only form of comfort these days?" Arachne's right eye twitched as she carefully attempted to wrench her shoulder away from her sister's grasp.

"... Good afternoon," she grumbled.

"Arachne, please," Medusa pleaded. "You don't have to be alone. It doesn't have to be this way. Why can't we be sisters again?"

"Good afternoon," Arachne repeated, raising her voice lightly this time.

"Please, come join us," Medusa pleaded again. "Come have Christmas dinner with us tomorrow."

"You can ask me all you want, my little sister, but my answer is still no," Arachne grumbled after finally wrenching her shoulder away from Medusa's grip.

"Well, you can say no all _you_ want, but I'll never stop asking," Medusa retorted as Arachne started to walk away, leaving her sister behind. After retrieving her grocery bags, a small smile formed around Medusa's face.

"And I'll never stop wishing you a Merry Christmas!" she said, raising her voice.

"Good afternoon!" Arachne shouted back.

"And a Happy New Year too!"

Arachne covered her ears and snarled under her breath. She turned back around and watched as her sister walked into the opposite direction. She let out a sneer and a huff, and returned to her walking, with Mosquito following suit still trying to keep the umbrella above her head. At last, about five blocks later, the pair had reached Gorgon Manor, the home of Arachne Gorgon. The mansion was about fifty-four feet high and almost fifty feet wide, taking up a large amount of space in the area. The walls appeared to be colored a darker shade of purple and the rooftop was made of red tiles. Of course, one could barely notice the tiles due to the large quantity of snow that just about covered the roof. You will not find a single Christmas decoration anywhere on her property, as she always made it very clear that she was not a Christmas-living person.

"Home at last," Arachne muttered in relief. Before she had the chance to have Mosquito open the wrought-iron gate in front of them for her, a sudden voice piped up.

"Excuse me,"

Arachne and Mosquito turned around and saw three people, one woman and two men. Well, one of them was a boy, who appeared to be seventeen years old, with short blonde hair and blue eyes, and was dressed in what looked like a black priest's robe and a white shawl covering his shoulders. The other male appeared to be a little older, possibly late-twenties, had dark skin, a somewhat ruggedly broad appearance, a pencil-thin stubble going across his chin and jawline, hair braided into cornrows and a white headband. He wore a simple orange jacket and held in his hand a filled cup of Deathbucks coffee. The woman appeared to be in her early-thirties, possessing large yellow eyes, and long blonde hair. The woman wore a black snow jacket with heavy yellow accents, and a red scarf around her neck.

Arachne was slightly put off by the fact that the blonde woman was also wearing an eyepatch that covered her left eye, which gave Arachne the idea that maybe she had been in a terrible accident some years ago, to say the least.

"Sorry to bother you, but are you, by any chance, Arachne Gorgon?" the woman asked. Arachne eyed her suspiciously.

"Indeed, I am," she said. "And who is it that wishes to know?" The woman bowed her head.

"My name is Marie Mjolnir. These are my friends and associates, Sid Barrett," she introduced, pointing to the older man. She then pointed to the young priest. "And Justin Law,"

"And...?" Arachne asked confusingly. Justin walked up and handed her their credentials, which came in the form of a simple card. Arachne looked deeply at it and concluded that it appeared legit.

"We are part of the Death City Charity Foundation," Justin stated. "We'd like to speak to you about a donation, for we are soliciting funds for the indigent and destitute." Arachne raised a slightly confused eyebrow.

"For the what?" she asked.

"We're collecting for the poor," Sid Barrett chimed in, simplifying what Justin had just said. "Even as we speak, there are those here in this city that are not so fortunate as us. There are men, women, and children with no homes, are jobless, and have no means of protection from the cold."

"And we of the Death City Charity Foundation," Marie added. "are trying to raise enough money to give them better homes, warm food and drinks, and any means of help from impoverishment." Arachne stood there with a contemplative expression. She stroke her chin, which emphasized that she was now deeper in thought. After a short while, she turned to them with a fake smile.

"A very noble cause, I must say," she stated. "Though I must ask the three of you something. You do realize that if you were to give money to the poor, they would not be poor anymore, will they?" Marie, Sid, and Justin looked at the macabre aristocrat in confusion, looked at each other as if they expected each other to have the answers, and turned back to Arachne.

"Well, we–" Sid began but was cut off by Arachne.

"And if they are not poor anymore," she continued, "That would mean you would not have to raise money for them anymore."

"Well, when you put it like tha–" Marie said, but she too was cut off.

"And if you do not have to raise money for them anymore," Arachne continued, "Then you three would be out of a job. Oh, please, my dear friends." Her voice then suddenly shifted into a sad and sympathetic-sounding tone. "Do not ask me to put you three out of a job, especially not on a delightful day such as Christmas Eve."

"Oh, we wouldn't ask for something like that, Miss Arachne," Justin stated. Her sad-like face, abruptly shifted back into the cold expression as before.

"Alright then... Now, get off my property, the three of you!" she growled, threatening to hit all three of them with her cane. Marie, Sid, and Justin recoiled a few steps, not wanting to be smacked in the heads from her cane, and also from being completely taken aback by this sudden change of behavior.

"But, Miss Gorgon," Marie pleaded. Arachne held up her free hand, signaling for the other woman to be silent.

"That is _Lady_ Gorgon to you," she corrected. "And I do not wish to hear another word about it. If you really are so bent on aiding the gutter rats of this city, then I suggest that you do society a tremendous favor and send them all off to the factories, or better yet, a nice warm prison cell where they all belong." The three of them gasped and expressions of shock laced their faces after hearing such cruel words escape from Arachne's mouth. Arachne simply rolled her eyes.

"Lady Gorgon," Marie said. "How can you say such a horrible thing? Don't you care at least a little bit for the poor? We are not asking a whole lot, we merely wish–"

"Oh please, just shut up already!" Arachne snapped. "I am not giving you a single quarter from my pocket, just so you can give them away to some filthy street rats! Do you know why? I will tell you why; because I have much, much more important things to do than waste my time on a foolhardy holiday like this! Because I cannot afford to make idle people merry because I do not make merry myself around on Christmas!"

"Madam Gorgon, please!" Marie begged. "Do you have any idea what you're saying?" Arachne sneered.

"My words are final!" she proclaimed. "And besides, I would soon rather burn in Hell than watch you walk away with my money in your pockets! I do not want anything to do with Christmas, not now, and not ever! And there is absolutely _nothing_ on this godforsaken planet of ours that is going to make me change my mind! Take my advice, Miss Mjolnir; the poor? They are all not worth it! Now, good afternoon!"

And just like that, Arachne Gorgon turned around and walked through the snow-covered path that led through the small front yard of her mansion. Marie Mjolnir stood in her place, totally shocked at how such a human being like Arachne could be so unloving and callous and ruthlessly tight-fisted. Marie frowned in anger and clenched her fists.

"You really are what people say you are," she said. But then, her voice began to rise and become emotional. "At first I didn't believe what other folks said about you. But after everything you just said to us, now I see the truth, the truth that you really are an abhorrent, bitter, black-hearted, devil-woman!"

"Marie, please calm down," Sid said.

"One of these days, Arachne Gorgon," Marie continued. "When you die and stand before God's presence, I promise you this, you're going to regret you ever said those horrible words!" Justin placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Come on, Marie," he said. "I think we've wasted enough of her time."

Marie turned her gaze to meet Justin's, and her face softened, but when she turned back to see Arachne fiddling with the front door of her mansion, her face morphed back into the hardened look she had before. She slowly shook her head. Truly, she could not understand just how or why is it that this woman could be so horrible, unloving, and unkind. Just what in this world had made her this way? What had Christmas ever done to make her so bitter, vile, and repugnant? Those are the questions Marie would never know. And so, she, Sid, and Justin, turned around and walked away, not once looking back, and not even noticing Arachne now watching them leave from behind her foyer window. Arachne flared her nostrils.

"Idiots," she muttered, before turning away from the window and marching up the stairs to the second floor, along with Mosquito still following suit and putting away the umbrella. The house was almost just as cold in the inside as it was outside, this Mosquito knew whenever he breathed through his mouth and his breath turned into fog. Arachne massaged the side of her right temple and then the bridge of her nose.

"Just what is this world coming to, Mosquito?" Arachne said with a sigh. "You work all of your life to get money, to become better than what you were, and yet people want you to give it away."

"I haven't the slightest idea, Lady Arachne," Mosquito answered.

"Of course, you would not," Arachne said. "Because you are just a servant, and you are paid to do as your told."

"Um, on the contrary, my Lady," Mosquito hesitated for a second. "You practically do not pay me at all." Arachne's lips formed into a cruel smile.

"Exactly," she simply said, as the two reached the second floor of the mansion, and sooner or later made it to her bedchambers.

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 **Well, that's for now. Was it good? Bad? Okay? Let me know in the reviews and tell what you all think would be better. And also, I will get to work on the second chapter immediately as possible. Oh, I also forgot to tell you. There will quite a few references from previous Christmas Carol adaptations in this story, including the chapter you had just read. If you get the references, send me your answers in the form of reviews.(Sorry if I sound very needy) Until then, enjoy Friday and Saturday, and good next week. :)**


	2. Chapter 2: Shaula's Ghost

**(I do not own Soul Eater, Soul Eater NOT!, or any other related names. All rights belong to Manga Entertainment, Madman Entertainment, Square Enix, and Atsushi Okubo)**

 **Please, remember to read, review, favorite, and follow. ;)**

 **And welcome back, ladies and gentlemen, to the second chapter of A Soul Eater Christmas Carol. Now this where things will get a little scary here, so I hope that you are all prepared for what's coming.**

 **But anyway, enjoy! ^_^**

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 **\- Chapter Two -**

 **Shaula's Ghost**

 **9:45 in the evening.**

The wood in the fireplace snapped and crackled, as Arachne sat in her chair, resting her feet on a small stool, dressed in her black satin nightgown worn underneath her bathrobe. Right next to her was a small table where a bottle of her most favorite brand of wine was. After she took a sip of her wine from the wineglass she held in her left hand, the alcohol pouring down her throat and filling her with warmth, she placed it back onto the small table and continued to read the large red leather-bound book she held in her other hand; a copy of Fyodor Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment. After about twenty more minutes of reading, Arachne placed a bookmark in-between the pages and placed it onto the small table where the wine was, lifted herself up from her chair, placed the cork back inside the wine bottle, and walked across the library with the bottle and glass in both hands.

After walking out of the library and into the foyer, a loud knocking came from her front door and the voices of children caught her ears and they were coming from the other side. She placed her right ear to the door; there must have been four, maybe five of them outside. Together, they were all singing to the carol God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. Arachne's face hardened and she flung open the door to see five children standing in front of her patio. Many of them ranged from being close to nine or ten years of age. One of the children upfront held out a tin cup filled with a small amount of change and four dollars as they neared the second verse of the carol. Arachne growled under her breath and her dark eyes morphed into a hateful glare.

"Get out of here!" she barked. "Get off my property, you miserable little beggars, before I give you something to sing about!"

In seconds, the children quickly ran for their dear lives and out into the darkened snow streets of the city until they could no longer be seen. _That will teach them,_ Arachne thought, smiling cruelly in triumph. Before she had the chance to shut the door, an eerie voice suddenly whispered her name. This catching her attention, Arachne stuck her head out and peered around her front yard that was covered by the blanket of snow and darkness. Again, that same eerie voice whispered her name, only it was somewhat louder than before. Confusion covered her face.

"Who is calling me?" she said, raising her voice to whoever it was. "Did someone call my name?"

In response, a cold chill suddenly ran down her spine and an unexpected feeling came over her; a nagging feeling that told her she was being watched, that something was stalking her. As she was about to close her door, she saw something that struck her soul with the feeling of indescribable fear. Her door knob began to glow a whitish neon-blue. The knocker then twisted and morphed into a shapeless ball. But then, the next thing that happened, surprised Arachne even more so; the shapeless knocker changed into the face of what appeared to be a young woman. There were no words to describe the feeling of dread that coursed throughout Arachne's body. Her eyes were wide as they could be, and her gray pupils nearly shrank into dots. Without even knowing it, she dropped her wine bottle and it fell to the floor. What made it more petrifying was that Arachne recognized the ghost's face after examining it closely.

"S...S-Shaula...?" she whispered.

The ghostly face of Shaula Gorgon at first did nothing. But then, its black eyes snapped wide open and stared down at Arachne as if it was staring deep into her soul. Arachne stared back, frozen in place, like she was being hypnotized by the ghosts penetrating gaze, and then it began to open its mouth and called out her name in an awful voice, which could only be described as simply bone-chilling. Arachne, quick as a flash, slammed the door shut and locked it tightly. For a moment, she turned around and rested her back against the door, breathing heavily and her heart pounding hard in her heaving chest. She then gazed down at the corked wine bottle on the floor. She then wiped away the growing sweat from her forehead.

"I think I have had enough for tonight," she concluded. After that, she picked up the bottle and ascended the staircase to the second floor of the mansion up above. Even though she had decided that what she had just seen was only her imagination, or so she tried to convince herself that it was, she could not, however, shake off the nerve-racking feeling at how realistic it looked, at how life-like that face was. As she made her way through the somewhat darkened hallway, a sudden noise came from the opposite direction, catching her attention. And it sounded like it was coming from the staircase. She turned around and tried to peer into the darkness. Ghostly whispers resonated throughout the end of hallway, calling out her name in dull moans and wails. Her whole body began to tremble, and her breathing became heavy again. She began to slowly and easily back away, as the voices became almost louder.

"M-Mosquito?!" she called out nervously. "Is that you? If this is your idea of a prank, it is not funny!" Nothing happened.

"If you do not stop this at once, you will be fired!" she called out again, this time a little more sternly. "Do you hear me?!"

As much as she wanted to deny it, but the sensation that slowly clouded her mind was becoming stronger by the minute, dawning on her that this was far too realistic-looking to be either a dream or an illusion, even though she wished that this was one of the two. _This must be all in my head,_ she thought, trying to convince herself, while shaking her head at the idea she so desired not to have. _Yes, that is it. My mind is playing tricks on me This is not real._ She nervously swallowed a hard lump that suddenly appeared in her throat.

"Mosquito?!..." she called out one more time, her voice no longer carrying the sense of authority, but was once again laced with fear. "P-Please, tell me that it is just you!"

What came next was the rising of mist and an eerie but faint whitish-blue glow grew brighter as it gradually came from the ascending staircase, this Arachne realized. To put the icing on the cake of this abysmal horror show, the brightening glow was accompanied by the resonatingly heavy sound of footsteps marching up the staircase. As the footsteps became louder and louder, just before finally reaching the top, Arachne, now dreading what could possibly be the worst, swiftly turned back around and ran straight to the end of the hallway, swung open her bedroom door to the left, ran inside her bedchambers, and slammed the door shut. To make doubly sure that nothing could get through, Arachne firmly locked the door in every way possible; turning the latch, twisting the keyhole, fastening the chain, and sliding the bar. Two bars, actually.

After that, she quickly darted to her wingback armchair and twisted it 'round so its back was turned from the door, kneeled onto it in a backwards position, and carefully peeked her head out from the top, closely and cautiously watching her bedroom door. She anxiously waited for something, if not anything, she hoped would not happen. She nervously bit the bottom of her lip and her slenderous fingers curled and tightened around the top of the back of the armchair. After a short while now, after nothing had happened, Arachne began to relax, believing that the worst was over, or so she had believed. Just when she was about to get up from her chair, soft knocking suddenly came from her door and that same bone-chilling voice from before echoed just outside her bedroom door, calling out her name in an unnerving moan. Arachne's heart skipped a beat and felt as if it was about to burst out of her chest.

Her eyes widened when she saw the mist slithering its way below her door, accompanied by the whitish-blue glow that threatened to penetrate through. Never in her entire life has she ever experienced such fantastic horrors before, and it became all the more terrible when she helplessly watched the locks undo themselves all on their own, as if some unseen force was responsible, which she believed was becoming very likely. The doorknob twisted and turned, and then in a swift motion, the bedroom door swung open slamming against the wall. Arachne leapt from her chair and backed away until she was close to the unlit fireplace. Her face was written with fear as she stared at the ghostly figure who stood before her just outside her bedroom. The ghost took one step forward, and then another, and another, and another, until it was almost standing ten feet close to the middle of the bedroom. Arachne stood where she was, frozen in complete terror at what she saw before her. Finally, she mustered up whatever courage she had and spoke the first words that came to mind.

"W-Who and what are you?" she muttered. "And what do you want with me?" The ghost eyed Arachne and then its lips curled into a kind smile.

"Why, Arachne," it said. "Do you mean to tell me that after all these years, you had already forgotten about your own baby sister?" Arachne looked at the ghost with a furrowed and confused face.

"B-Baby sister?" The phantom smiled, and a giggle escaped its mouth.

"Yes, Arachne," it said. "Look closely, and tell me what you see." Arachne rubbed her eyes furiously and blinked a few times until she could see the ghost more clearly. For a moment, she paused and then closely examined the spectral being in great detail. The apparition had the appearance of a young teenage girl, possibly nineteen years old. Her pale and unblemished complexion served to accentuate her slender facial features, which were characterized by the ominous-looking irises displayed in her eyes. She appeared to be dressed in a long-sleeved sailor outfit; the kind that had been adopted by many schools in Japan as their standard uniform. Her hair was arranged into a long loose plait that ended in the shape of what looked like a scorpion's stinger, through the use of an appropriately tied bow. From all of this, Arachne's eyes widened in shock as the sense of recognition consumed her brain.

"S-Shaula?" she uttered. "... Is that you? ... Is that _really_ you?" The ghost nodded its head.

"Yes, big sister," the ghost of Shaula Gorgon stated. "It's me."

"No..." Arachne said, before shaking her head violently. "No, you are not real. You cannot be real." Shaula's delightful smile turned into a frown within a split second.

"What reason have you believe that I am just a figment of your imagination?" the ghost asked. "Why are you denying the fact that I had just revealed my very existence to you?" Arachne merely scratched the side of her head, trying to find the right words to use.

"Well, I did have a few drinks recently," Shaula placed both of her slenderous hands on both her hips.

"Oh, so you blame the wine for me being here?" she questioned, in an almost offended manner. "I am not here because you had one to many sips of alcohol, Arachne Gorgon."

"No?" Arachne said hesitantly. "Then, why exactly _are_ you here?" The ghost of Shaula raised her hand as if to tell her older sister to remain calm.

"I will tell you," she said. "But first, is it alright if I have a seat?" Arachne blinked for a moment and hastily nodded her head.

"S-Sure, be my guest," And so, Shaula's ghost walked up to the chair Arachne was at earlier. Once after reaching it, she slowly knelt and sat down and nothing more. Arachne eased on over to the spare wingback armchair that she had opposite from Shaula. Now, with both sisters seated, one alive and the other dead as a doornail, Arachne waited patiently for the ghost to speak. What she thought the ghost was going to say, ended up being something completely different.

"I must say though, I must have given you quite the scare earlier, didn't I?" she asked. Arachne shot her dead sister's ghost an annoyed glance and a huff.

"You think that was funny?" she grunted "You just about nearly gave me a heart attack!" She placed her hand on her own chest, to make it her point. A sadistically mischievous grin appeared on Shaula's face.

"I know, right?" she stated with a child-like giggle. "You should have seen the look on your face. Admit it, you miss the good times."

Arachne crossed her arms and grumpily pouted. She had forgotten that Shaula used to be quite the prankster when she was still alive back in the day. Simple and immature games only to try and get a laugh. Arachne remembered that Shaula one time she poured ice cubes down her dress when she was was twenty-three. Shaula must have been either thirteen or fifteen years old when that happened. That was the one aspect of her baby sister, Arachne did not miss at all. But although, as much as Arachne wanted to deny it, she knew that deep down within her, she actually did miss Shaula's unique sense of humor. Arachne then sighed softly, her shoulders slumped, and her arms laid down on her lap. By this point, she had now become almost exhausted from what she had just went through. After inhaling and exhaling a calm breath, Arachne looked straight at the spectral creature in front of her and spoke again.

"Alright, Shaula," she began. "Let us get back to business. What is the _real_ reason why you are here? I assume that it is not just to catch up on old times, am I right?" Shaula's playful and happy expression transformed into a serious visage and she looked at Arachne with a somber demeanor the older sibling never knew she had.

"I have come for your sake, Arachne," the ghost of Shaula declared. "I've been sent to warn you. To _save_ you." Arachne creased a confused eyebrow.

"Save me?" she asked curiously, but regretted it in seconds when the ghost said the next words that got to her.

"Yes... from your imminent doom," the ghost of Shaula Gorgon said. "To save your soul from eternal damnation." Terror had once again captivated Arachne. The more Shaula said, the more compelled by dread Arachne felt.

"W-What do you mean?" she asked.

"Arachne," Shaula's ghost began, making sure that what she was about to say became very clear to her older sibling, who remained within her chair opposite from her. "The path that which you have set yourself a course on is a very dangerous one. A path that you will not escape from, if you do not turn back now while you still have the chance. Even as we speak, you're standing near the tip of a razor's edge. If you do not stop now, you will be doomed for all time, and all of those around you will suffer the consequences of your actions."

"Shaula, please talk sense. Just what are you talking about?" Arachne asked. Shaula groaned in annoyance.

"Do I have to spell it out for you?" she said, almost exasperatedly. "Something horrible, something far more terrible is waiting for you in the afterlife, a nightmarish fate far worse than what you could possibly imagine, if you do not change your ways before it's too late!"

"Just why are you here telling me this?" Arachne questioned. A sad expression covered Shaula's face.

"You may not know it," Shaula began, "But I had been watching you from Heaven above these past five years. And frankly, I'm not in the least bit happy with what I'm seeing. I can't stand the sight of you treating other people so badly, especially towards Medusa, your own remaining sister, who pours her heart out for you every year around the holidays. My heart breaks whenever I see you all by your pitiful lonesome, drinking only God knows how much wine, scotch, and cocktails you've downed. It pains me to witness my own sister, you, who was once a gentle soul become a miserable miser, consumed by your own lust for wealth, and by your hatred for Christmas."

Arachne uncomfortably twiddled with her fingers and then rubbed the back of her neck, unsure of how to respond to the ghost of her dead sister. And then, she found her voice once more.

"Well, not everyone is perfect," she stated. In a heartbeat, Shaula's ghost sprang forward until she was up in Arachne's face, making them just about close to being nose-to-nose.

"That is no excuse for your distasteful behavior, Arachne Gorgon!" she shrieked in a blood-curdling tone that could almost shake the entire earth. Arachne helplessly gazed into her dead sister's dark and angry eyes, completely petrified and frozen in terror at Shaula's sudden outburst. Eventually, Shaula's ghost relaxed and sat back down onto her seat as if nothing had ever happened.

"The point I am trying to make, Arachne, is that as your sister, I do not want you to die as a loveless and hardhearted sinner. Because I do not want you to _burn_." At the last word, a feeling of foreboding suddenly cast itself over Arachne's soul. Her heart pounded deeply and loudly in her chest as random nightmarish thoughts instantly ran through her head.

"But, b-but-"

"I know what you are going to say next, sister," the ghost said, cutting her older sibling off, and then spoke in a gentler voice. "And no, you're not beyond saving. It's not too late to make amends with those you have wronged. There's still time for you to repent and escape your terrible future."

"Then what must I do?" Slowly and carefully, the ghost of Shaula Gorgon rose from her chair, but did not remove her gaze from Arachne.

"Tonight, once after I depart, you will be visited by three other ghosts," Arachne looked at Shaula absurdly.

"More?" she said "Is this the second chance you are offering me?" The ghost nodded her head.

"Yes," she simply stated. "And I have some serious advice for you as well." Arachne hesitated for a moment but finally gave in.

"And that is?"

"Listen to them!" Shaula commanded. Arachne folded her hands as if she were in prayer and nodded her head hurriedly.

"I-I will,"

"And do they say!" Again, Arachne nodded her head like an obedient little child, which was of course very strange considering that Arachne was the eldest among of her two siblings. Normally, they would be the ones listening to her instead of the other way around. Of course, there was a time when she was still the authority figure of her family, since she was the first born. But right now, it was her youngest sister who was acting very much boss-like for the moment.

"Because if not," Shaula continued and then paused for a second before speaking again. "Well, I think you've got the idea." And just like that, the ghost moved away from Arachne and approached the bedroom window on the other side of the chamber. Arachne quickly stood up after watching her dead sister maneuver on over to the window.

"Wait," Arachne called out. "Where are you going?" Shaula turned around and smiled pleasantly yet sadly.

"I have to go now," she said. "It's nearly midnight." Suddenly, the bedroom window slid open and a force of cold, freezing air assaulted the room. Arachne covered herself with her dark-purple bathrobe to protect herself from the nipping chill.

"Shaula, wait!" she called out again, as a sudden wave of emotion came over her, an emotion she had not felt in a very long time. "Please, do not go!"

"I have to," she said. Arachne shook her head and reached out with her left hand.

"Please, do not leave me again!" she begged, her voiced a little bit cracked from the sadness that threatened to eat her up. "At least give me the chance to-"

"Expect the first ghost at one o'clock!" Shaula said, not listening to her sister. "The second shall arrive at exactly two! And the third? Well, let's just say that you better be prepared for that one, because I promise you, he will not be so merciful like the rest!"

"Wait! Shaula, wait!"

And just like that, without uttering another word, Shaula's ghost closed her eyes, and her physical form dissipated into mist until she was nothing but a glowing ball that radiantly shined with a whitish-blue aura. And then, the ball slowly floated over the window and disappeared into the darkness outside. Arachne ran to the window and peered her head out. She called out to her sister, but nothing answered back. Sadly, all that she could see were the falling snowflakes, and the darkened, snow-covered streets of Death City bellow. Feeling like she was defeated, Arachne hung her head as she slid the window shut and locked it tight.

After that, she undressed from her bathrobe, revealing her entire black satin, shoulder-strapped nightgown, and hung the robe on a nearby coat hanger next to her queen-size bed. For a moment, she paused and started to feel a lump growing in her her throat and her chest tightened with emotion. What I'm about to give to you is the best description I have, because I do not think anyone else could have describe it any better; for the very first time ever in five long years, Arachne covered her mouth with both trembling hands and openly wept, her puffed red cheeks now covered in brokenhearted tears.

"I did not get the chance to say goodbye," she muttered sorrowfully. Without another spoken word, fully exhausted and very much shaken by what had just transpired, Arachne Gorgon fell immediately into her bed, not even once bothering to cover herself with her blanket, and buried her tear-soaked face into her pillow and continued to cry miserably throughout the evening. Ultimately, she finally slipped into the hollow stillness of a dreamless slumber.

* * *

 **Okay, I am not gonna lie, I got a little bit emotional when writing the ending of this chapter. Can you all imagine yourselves going through the same kinda pain Arachne had just experienced? Truly, I understand how it feels to lose a loved one or family member. It is never an easy thing to go through, especially when they die on your favorite holiday, which would only become a painful reminder.**

 **But anyway, let's move on. This is the part where I need all of your help. I want you all to tell me who you think should play the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. Which Soul Eater characters would fit the roles? And no, I'm not gonna use Lord Death as the Future ghost, as much as I really like the idea.** **I'm afraid that if I use him, it will ruin the seriousness of this story. Sorry, guys :/**

 **As you guys give me ideas, I will get to work on the third chapter of our beloved Christmas tale. Until then, have a splendid weekend. ^_^**


	3. Chapter 3: The First of the Ghosts

**(I do not own Soul Eater, Soul Eater NOT!, or any other related names. All rights belong to Manga Entertainment, Madman Entertainment, Square Enix, and Atsushi Okubo)**

 **Please, remember to read, review, favorite, and follow.**

* * *

 **\- Chapter Three -**

 **The First of the Ghosts**

 **12:59 in the evening.**

Silence was all Arachne heard in her bedchambers, save for the tick-tock sound that came from her grandfather clock that stood next to the left side of the fireplace. She laid perfectly still on the mattress of her bed, but even as she kept her eyes closed and tried her very best to fall asleep, for her recent encounter with Shaula's ghost could not escape from her mind, causing her to groan. However, what made her nervous heart beat in her chest was what Shaula had said before departing. She was going to be visited by three ghosts. For Arachne, this did not sound like she was going to have a pleasant experience. But then, her eyes shot wide open when her grandfather clock suddenly rang. Ding dong, dong ding! Dong ding, ding dong! Arachne immediately shot up and now sat on her bed. Because her eyes were now adjusted to the darkness, she could better see her grandfather clock. A gasp escaped her mouth when she saw that the big hand was on the twelve and the little hand was on the...

 _Expect the first ghost at one o'clock,_ she thought. She then grabbed her blanket and pulled them close to her, preparing for what she assumed would be the worst. She lightly flinched when she saw a small light flicker at the edge of her bed. It was almost bright enough to be a candle. But then, the light grew brighter and rose up to the point where it had become blinding. Arachne covered her eyes from the striking light, but eventually, the light died down, allowing her to see again. What she saw caught her by surprise. What she saw at the edge of her bed was a tall man, who appeared to be a little bit older than she was. On the ghost's white-haired head was a white top hat, and he was dressed in a frilled ruff and a well-fitting white tuxedo-like suit. In his hands was a cane, and a glowing golden aura surrounded him. Arachne eyed him guardedly.

"Are you the first of the ghosts that was foretold to me?" she asked hesitantly. The figure smiled pleasantly and nodded his head.

"Indeed, I am," the ghost responded, in a mighty-sounding voice. "For you see, I am the Ghost of Christmas Past." Arachne furrowed her brows curiously.

"Long past?" she enquired. The ghost shook his head.

"No, my dear lady," it stated. "My role is to show you the Christmas's of _your_ past. The previous times of your younger years." Looking at him and considering him for a moment, Arachne stroke her chin.

"Um, Mr. Ghost," she began, but stopped when he waved his hand off at her and his smile grew bigger.

"Please, my dear lady, just call me..." he paused for second, "...Excalibur."

"Um, alright then, _Excalibur_." Arachne said, looking at him oddly. "You know, you were not what I was expecting to look..." She stopped for an instant. Excalibur's smile turned into a frown and looked at her with an offended face.

"Hmph! Listen, Arachne," the ghost said, "if people were measured by kindness, you would look no better than a single lump of coal." Arachne rested her hands on her lap and rolled her eyes at the ghost's little rant. She then let out a small yawn.

"Kindness is of little use in this world," she stated after laying back down on her bed and trying to sleep. Excalibur's smile returned, and he let out a light chuckle.

"You did not always believe that," he retorted, and then gestured for her. "Come on, Arachne. It is time to go."

"Then go," she grunted annoyedly. Excalibur suddenly grabbed the edge of her blanket and pulled it with all his might, now leaving Arachne uncovered. Arachne jolted back up and looked at him like had just committed a terrible crime. With a single snap of his fingers, the bedroom window slid all the way open. A massive puff of cold air assaulted the room and Arachne shivered when it touched her bare skinned arms and face. Arachne looked at Excalibur very much surprised.

"What are you doing?" she yelped.

"We are going to visit your past!" he stated with a smile. "You might as well hop out of bed this instant, because I am not leaving until you come." Arachne slumped her head and easily but carefully crawled off the bed and stood. She went and quickly grabbed her bathrobe from the coat hanger and put it on. After that, she then tied the bathrobe belt around her waist. After she walked up to Excalibur and then turned to the window. She gazed back at the ghost with an aghast look.

"Are you crazy?" she said. "I cannot fly! I am just human."

"Just hold onto my hand," Excalibur instructed, "and you will be alright."

With that, Arachne latched onto Excalibur's white-gloved hand, and then suddenly, the two became almost a float into the air. With a dramatic flick of his arm, Excalibur pointed his cane to the open window. A dreadful feeling told Arachne what that meant, and she held onto the ghost's hand tightly. In a split second, the two flew through the window and out into the skyline of Death City. Arachne yelled and hollered whenever it appeared like they were about to crash into a nearby building. Every time, she shouted, "Look out for that chimney!" or "Be careful!" or "Are you trying to kill us?!" Eventually, the two flew a little higher until the city was now far below them. Arachne made the mistake in looking down. She climbed up Excalibur's arm, shaking in fright and breath heaving heavily. Excalibur let out an amused chuckle.

"What's the matter, Arachne," he asked. "I thought you enjoyed looking down on the world." After saying that, Excalibur pointed his cane up at the sky and a single light shot out of the end. As the light reached near the sky above, it suddenly exploded like a firework, becoming as blindly bright as the sun itself. Arachne averted her gaze to avoid from having her eye sockets burn up. In a short while, Excalibur spoke.

"It's alright, Arachne," he said. "It's safe to look now."

After Arachne did so, she was surprised by what she saw. The sun was out and shining brightly over the sky, and to Arachne's further surprise, they longer loomed over Death City, but a different place entirely. Though granted the air was still frightfully cold, but astonishingly only a little bit. Once after the two made it back down below into the city streets, Arachne knelt to the grown and bowed her head so low until her forehead touched the grass-covered floor. Repeatedly, she thanked God that she was back on earth safe and sound. After she was done, she stood back up to her feet and gazed around at this suddenly new location.

"Where are we?" asked Arachne confusingly, turning to Excalibur, who only smiled in response.

"Salem, Oregon," Excalibur answered in a factual tone. "December 23rd, in the Year of Our Lord, 1997."

This caught Arachne completely off guard as sudden memories flashed through her mind. Oregon? 1997? Excalibur pointed to the direction behind Arachne. Arachne turned around and what she saw made her gasp and cover her mouth with both hands, her eyes now wide as could be. The building that which they were in front of was three floors high, all made of red bricks and over a dozen windows. The building expanded to be about almost two hundred yards long, taking up a large portion of the property. Excalibur held his hands behind his back, along with his cane.

"Do you remember this place?" the ghost asked.

"Remember it?" she said, her voice nearly trembling with emotional happiness, a genuine feeling that she had not felt in a very long time. "This use to be my old boarding school!" Unexpectedly, the school bell rang loudly, and about a minute or two later, the front doors burst wide open and a large majority of the student body poured out into the front yard, dressed in warm coats and jackets and carrying their backpacks and finished schoolwork. Arachne stood in the schoolyard, watching her former schoolmates, young girls and boys who had been her friends. There were two young girls among the large crowd whom Arachne instantly recognized.

"I know those two girls!" Arachne exclaimed excitedly. "That is Arisa and Lisa! And look over there! That is Joe Buttataki! And, and Azusa Yumi! Was that Mira Naigus I just spotted?" She immediately tried to greet them, but to her surprise, they did not respond. And so, Arachne turned to Excalibur puzzled.

"How come they did not notice us?"

"These are but shadows of past events that had happened years ago," Excalibur explained. "They can neither see nor hear us. They have no knowledge of our presence whatsoever." Arachne at first frowned, but smiled again when she turned to see all the students, dressed in matching outfits, who all either walked home from school, or waited for their parents to pick them up. They were all going home for Christmas, this Arachne realized. She let out a soft sigh and looked at all her former schoolmates with fondness in her gray eyes and smiled a delightful smile.

"These were all my friends," she muttered. "Look how young and happy they all were. I cannot believe that it has been this long." Her bottom lip began to tremble, and a small tear suddenly went down her left cheek. She quickly wiped it away with her hand. Excalibur noticed this, but Arachne simply shrugged it off.

"Oh, it is nothing," she lied. "I just have something in my eye, that is all." Excalibur looked at her with an incredulous smile, but decided to let it go.

"Do you know the way around here?" asked Excalibur.

"Know the way?" Arachne inquired and smiled brightly, after placing both her hands on her hips. "I know this place like the back of my hand!"

Once after entering inside the school and into the hallway that was lined with lockers, more memories flooded Arachne's brain. Happy memories of good times that she had not thought of in years. She remembered how much she loved this school. Sure, it was just like any other school in the world. But from Arachne's point of view, it was like going to Yale or Harvard. As the pair continued to traverse through the hallway, they both heard a small voice coming from one classroom located to their right. The door was left completely wide open. The two walked inside and examined the classroom. The ceiling was more than twelve feet high, with rows upon rows of chairs with their desks. The top half of the walls were painted white, while the bottom half were made of a solid wood.

Arachne gazed around at the barren classroom until she noticed a small child who sat secluded in the far-left corner at the other end of the classroom. Even from far away, Arachne could easily examine the appearance the child. The youngster appeared to be approximately fifteen-year-old girl, wearing a dark-gray dress and black ballet shoes, and had black hair tied in a single bun with two strands hanging down on each side of her face. Quietly, the young girl sang to O Coma All Ye Faithful with a sad look on her face. When the girl got to,

 _O come let us adore Him,_

 _O come let us adore Him,_

 _O come let us adore Him,_

 _..._

she stopped, hesitating for a moment, and then found herself unable to finish the rest of the song. The girl shut her eyes tight as painfilled tears came pouring down her face. A couple times she sniffled and tried to wipe the tears away. Unfortunately, the terrible feeling was too great, and with the knowledge that no one was around to watch, the girl buried her tear-covered face into her desk and openly cried. Arachne watched helplessly, looking down at the young child with a sad and sympathetic expression. She saw how solitary the young girl was, with no one around to comfort her and tell her that everything was going to be alright. She looked lonely and alone, as if she did not have a single friend in the world.

"Do you know who this is?" Excalibur asked. But Arachne believed that the ghost already knew what the answer was.

"Yes," she responded with a sinking heart. "This unhappy and deserted child... was me."

"Why were you so sad?" the ghost asked. Without turning to Excalibur, the older Gorgon sister explained her story.

"After my mother had died, my father, wanting to fill in the empty space, remarried," she described. Her hand tightened into balls of fists and she felt her anger rise. "My stepmother... She was a horrid woman; foul, unkind, revolting, she treated Medusa and I like we were stray dogs, whenever father was not around. When she found the perfect opportunity, she took it, and sent me off here to this school. I have not seen my family since. And because of her, I was not allowed to go home for Christmas like all the other children. It had almost been a year ago."

"That must have been terribly hard," Excalibur said with a sad expression of his own. Arachne turned around and shot the ghost her ever so familiar scowl.

" _Life_ is hard," she coldly stated. For a moment, Excalibur remained silent until he finally said,

"Come, let us see another Christmas."

With a wave of the ghost's hand the entire classroom had quickly changed, aging within six years in mere few seconds. Arachne watched as the child before her transformed into that of a young adult woman at the age of twenty. She realized that it was now December 23rd, in the year 2003. She watched as her younger self wondered around the classroom until she stopped and let out a sad sigh, to which she thought would be another Christmas all by herself, and with no one else to celebrate it with. But then, a knocking came from the door. She turned around and saw someone that she had not seen in a long while. A familiar face that she had long hoped to see again.

Medusa Gorgon, who was now sixteen years of age at this point in time, stood inside the classroom, leaning back against the opened door with a big smile on her face. Arachne watched as her younger self beamed with glee, ran across the classroom, and gave her long-missed sister a big hug. She then planted kiss after kiss around Medusa's face, on her nose, her forehead, and her cheeks. Medusa laughed and held her arms up in protest.

"Alright, alright, I give up!" she exclaimed happily. In the end, the two finally calmed down from their excitement and looked at each other for a moment.

"My goodness, look at you!" Arachne said, astonished by her younger sister's aged appearance.

"Me?" Medusa said with a giggle. "Look at _you_! You've now got a bod that'll drive men crazy!" Her words rang true, for Arachne had almost become quite the attractive young lady since she was sent away. After that, the twenty-year-old Arachne placed both of her hands on her sister's face and then lightly ruffled her blonde hair. She swore she felt like she was going to cry.

"Oh, Medusa," she muttered, her bottom lip trembling and embraced her once again. "I've missed you so much." After releasing her, Arachne eyed her sister curiously.

"What are you doing here?" Medusa smiled big.

"I'm here to take you home," she declared. Arachne froze for a moment.

"... Home?"

"Yes, big sister. Home."

"But... But..." Medusa placed both of her hands onto Arachne's shoulders.

"You don't have to worry about Clara anymore," she said. Arachne lightly flinched at the mention of their stepmother's name. "When dad found out about what happened, he completely cut her off and sent her away. She won't trouble us anymore, Arachne." The older Gorgon sister blinked a few times and an excited feeling came over her.

"You mean..." It was here that Medusa could not hold back the joy inside her any longer.

"Yes, big sister!" she nearly exclaimed with an emotional smile. "You're coming home for Christmas! Tonight!"

Truly, Arachne could not describe just how jubilant she felt upon hearing those words escape her sister's mouth. The very words that she had waited to hear for a long time. Finally, she could be with her family and be happy again. No more would she be isolated from those she cared about. Before she could say another word, she heard a strange noise coming from below. On the floor next to Medusa was what looked like a baby basket, where a purple blanket covered the top. Arachne looked at it confusingly, but her suspicions were confirmed when she heard the sound of a baby cooing inside.

"Um, Medusa," she asked curiously. "You mind telling me what–" Medusa then bent down, lifted up the baby basket, and gently placed it on top of the cleared teacher's desk. She looked up at Arachne and nervously smiled.

"Arachne Gorgon," the second oldest of the Gorgon sisters said, "I would like to introduce you to the newest addition to our family." She then lifted the purple blanket, revealing a small infant laying down, holding a teddy bear closely in its arms, and nibbling on the left ear. The baby appeared to have a tuff of pink hair and big adorable bug eyes, and was covered from the waste by another blanket. The baby stared up at Arachne for a short jiffy and smiled big.

"Arachne, this is Crona Gorgon." For a moment, Medusa nervously rubbed the back of her neck. "He's... well... my son." The twenty-year-old Arachne looked at her sister and gave her a confused look.

"Your _son_?" she spoke. "Wait, then that means– Medusa, you didn't." A deep blush appeared on Medusa's face, and she twiddled her fingers nervously.

"Well," she said, unsure of what else to say. "We teenagers do stupid things sometimes." Young Arachne placed both hands on her hips and gave her sister a stinky look.

"That still doesn't excuse such behavior, Medusa Gorgon," she nagged. Medusa snorted and smiled.

"Okay, now you're starting to sound like dad," Arachne turned back to the baby and smiled. She cradled a single finger against the infant's cheek. The baby looked up at her and let out a giggle.

"Hello, little Crona," Arachne cooed. "I'm your auntie." Arachne stood by and continued to watch her younger self and Medusa play with the baby a little bit. After a while, Medusa lifted the baby basket and the two sisters walked out of the classroom, through the hallway, and outside into the schoolyard. Arachne and Excalibur went on over to the school window, and watched the two siblings get into the car, start up the engine, and drove off into the distance until they could no longer be seen. Arachne let out a light sigh at the happy memory, while Excalibur stood by her.

"I do not think you realize just how lucky you are to have a loving sister like Medusa," the ghost said. Arachne nodded her head.

"Truly, I am very lucky," she muttered. "But this was before I saw Shaula again. She too had grown since the last I saw her. Eventually, Shaula and I became almost inseparable after I came home."

"If my may, did you ever find out who Crona's father was?" Excalibur asked curiously. Arachne shook her head with a frown.

"We still do not like to talk about it," she stated. "But, let us just say that he took his things and skipped town, the moment he found out Medusa was pregnant." Excalibur grimaced as well.

"If you ask me," Arachne continued, "he was not worthy of an amazing woman like her," Excalibur concord.

"Indeed," he said. "Just as much as you are not worthy of her as well." Arachne turned to the ghost with a confused expression, but once after realizing what he had meant by those words, she hung her head low with a sheepish aspect.

"What say we see another Christmas?"

And just like that, Excalibur snapped his fingers and they were both whisked away from the classroom, and suddenly set them both in the middle of what looked like a rollicking party. Recognition immediately swept through her brain; it was Christmas Day, in the year 2008. She and her family had just moved into Death City about only a year ago. The room they were now in was large, covered in Christmas decorations. Everybody was either dancing, or chatting away while drinking glasses of Christmas punch, eggnog, or hot chocolate. The food table was lined with all kinds of food you could think of for a Christmas party like this. Everybody was dressed in festive-looking sweaters and shirts, all while wearing Santa hats and/or plastic reindeer antlers.

It was here that Arachne saw Medusa, now twenty-one, and of course their little teenaged sister Shaula, among the rabble. But then, she also saw herself again, now a maturing young adult pushing twenty-five years of age. But sadly, even at this happy moment in her life, Arachne's younger self was having no fun, but instead worried more about how much the party was costing. This was just a very small aspect of the greed that would devour her in the forthcoming future. One other aspect, Arachne noticed, was that her younger self's bust had slightly grown these past five years. Curious, Arachne gazed down at her own breasts and was surprised to see just how well developed they've gotten over the years as she grew older. Excalibur noticed her expression and chuckled.

"Yes, my dear," he commented. "Even at the age of twenty-five, you were quite the beautiful young woman."

At this, she bashfully blushed.

"Well..." she nervously said. "Yes, quite true. And because of this, almost every man in the party tried to win my hand. In the end, however, all of them failed."

"Yes, they all did," Excalibur agreed. "Save for one."

Arachne was confused by what the ghost meant, but once he pointed at a certain direction towards a certain individual, remembrance came through. It was here that Arachne saw that she had not seen in so long. Free Leidolf, a handsome young man that she had known for quite a while since after she and her family first arrived in Death City. Free was about a year older than Arachne, and a little taller too. He had quite the physical build, with tanned skin, short black hair, and a pencil-thin stubble that went across his chin and jawline. He was dressed in a black and white striped sweater, a pair of light-blue Levis, and brown shoes. Arachne watched as her younger self and he begin to talk and then talked some more. Eventually, he held out his hand to her. Hesitating for a moment, she accepted his offer and the two walked into another part of the room, alone by themselves. Arachne and Excalibur followed them to watch carefully at the scene that was happening before them. Both Free and the younger Arachne stood by themselves at the doorway.

"Tell me," Excalibur said. "What was it about him that you liked?"

"Free was different from all the rest," Arachne answered. "He was not like the other men I've met before. I do not know, I just cannot explain it. There was something about him that made me feel... happy." Free laid down his cup of punch onto a nearby glass table and held Arachne's hands.

"Arachne," Free spoke in a rich baritone voice. "I've known you for about a few months now, ever since you first came to Death City and... well, there is something I really want to get off my chest." Young Arachne considered Free's eyes and waited for him to finish.

"Yes...?" she urged. He looked away slightly bashfully.

"Well, it's just that... I have feelings for you," Free went on. "And I'm not gonna pretend that you don't feel the same way. But... Arachne... I... I just want to tell you that... I think... I love you." Young Arachne covered her mouth in surprise and looked at him like he had lobsters crawling out of his ears. Her face began to turn red and tears welled up in her eyes. In a heartbeat, she buried her face into his strong chest and embrace him.

"Oh, Free," she cried. "You don't know how long I've waited for you to say that." As she now gazed lovingly into Free's eyes, they both looked up and noticed a simple mistletoe hanging just above them. They looked back at each other and smiled. Not wanting to drag it out any longer, Arachne and Free leaned forward and kissed for the first time. One partygoer noticed this and yelled to the top of his lungs.

"Hey everyone, look!" he shouted. "They're making out!" Everyone around the party laughed and clapped and then whistled. Arachne and Free quickly broke the kiss and the two started to feel awkward and bashful, Free rubbing the back of his neck while Arachne simply grabbed her left arm. Everyone continued to clap and congratulate the two new couples.

"At a boy, Free, you lucky dog!" one said.

"Come on, encore!" another shouted. "Give us another one!" And so, Free and Arachne glanced at each other, smiled, shrugged their shoulders and then kissed deeply this time. All of the partygoers roared and clapped even louder. Arachne stood by with Excalibur, watching the entire scene with a joyful countenance after sighing dreamily.

"I had never fallen in love with a more brilliant man then him," she murmured.

"Indeed," Excalibur agreed. But then, he grimaced. "But in two years time, you learned to love something else." Before Arachne could ask him what he meant, the ghost whisked them away once more until they were now in another location. Arachne gazed around and saw that they were now in some kind of woods-like park, surrounded by leafless trees and small hills, a few clearings, tiny roads and a wooden bench here and there. As expected, Arachne turned to Excalibur for answered.

"Where are we now?" she asked.

"Christmas Day," he informed. "In the year 2010."

"Why yes... I remember now. Before passing away, father wrote me into his will, handing over all of his inheritance to me. Why he never included Medusa and Shaula, I will never know. Although, I do suspect that he wanted someone more mature and responsible enough to handle the amount of his wealth. But, please tell me, why are we here in the park?"

"I believe you already know the answer to that, my dear Arachne," Excalibur said in a low tone. Arachne's eyes slowly widened at the realization.

"No, please," she begged. "Please, do not show me this Christmas."

Before she could protest even further, Excalibur held up his hand to silence her. He then pointed with his cane at a different direction, something that which he wanted Arachne to see. What she saw was a young couple easily walking down the path and eventually sat onto one of the benches. As Arachne got closer, she saw that it was Free and her young self, only slightly older from the passing two years they had been together. To Arachne's terrible prediction, the two sat silently on the bench with unhappy faces. And to Arachne's anguish, this was the time when she had become infected by her own greed and avarice.

"You fear the world too much, Arachne," Free stated with an exhalation. "All of your hopes have combined into one single hope of becoming wealthier than you already were. Money has become the one thing you only care about." Twenty-seven-year-old Arachne rolled her eyes.

"And what of it?" she said. "Perhaps now I had grown wiser than before. Learning to be mindful of how much I have spent. To be better than what I use to be?" Free looked away and paused for a moment.

"You've changed, Arachne," he said. "Everything about you has changed." Arachne looked at her boyfriend with an offended face.

"I have not changed towards you," she protested. Free gave her a stone-faced look.

"Oh really," he said, unconvinced by her words. "You claim that there is room in your heart for me, but recently I have yet to see it. You haven't called, haven't wrote. I tried doing to same, but you never answered my calls or wrote back to me. You haven't spoken to me in weeks. When was the last time you said I love you?"

"Okay then, I love you," Free shook his head.

"That doesn't count," Arachne rubbed the side of her temple.

"What do you want me to say, Free?" she groaned. "Do I have to fall down on my knees and worship the ground you walk on? Free, you know well as I do that I do love you." Free shut his eyes and lowered his head, trying his utmost best to hide the hurt that was buried in him.

"You did once," he murmured. "But it seems love has become a little hard to come by these days. Don't try and deny it, Arachne, I know the truth. I can see it in your eyes. I mean very little to you now, and all you can think about is your family goldmine. Not to mention you rarely ever celebrate Christmas anymore. When I came by this morning, there was not a single decoration in your house, not an essence of cheer and happiness." Arachne crossed her arms and huffed.

"Christmas has become quite costly this time around," she said. "And besides, it is nothing but a waste of my time."

"You didn't always think that," Free retorted. "You used to love Christmas. You used to adore everything about the holiday. You loved the company around you, the food, the laughter, the music, and the feeling it always brought. Why aren't you doing that now?"

"I have a family fortune to watch over," she excused. "Another dollar I spend makes me another minute poorer. Like I said, I have become wiser with my money. And I do not intend on losing it. And besides, I finally realize the truth, that Christmas is nothing but a holiday for gullible fools who live on consumerism and wasting valuable money on overpriced gifts and trinkets. Holidays that promote excessive spending should all be outlawed." Free looked at her disbelievingly, scoffed, and then shook his head.

"I don't believe what I'm hearing," Free said. "It's like I don't know you anymore. You really _have_ changed, Arachne." Silence followed for a moment. Arachne straightened her back up and held her nose up eye in a snobbish manner.

"Are we just about done here?" she asked frustratingly. Free's frown deepened and exhaled a breath through his nose.

"Yes, I think we are done," he said, before standing back up and turning his back to her. "In fact, ...I think it would be a lot better if we were to split."

"What?" Arachne asked, surprised. "Free, you cannot be serious!"

"I am," he said. "I'm sorry, Arachne. I really am. But you're no longer the same woman I fell in love with. I just don't know you anymore." At this, Free bit the bottom of his lip and swallowed hard. After a moment of silence, he lightly turned his head to her direction.

"Goodbye, Arachne," he declared. "I hope you find some happiness in the life you've chosen." Without another word, Free walked into the opposite direction while the twenty-seven-year-old Arachne silently remained on the bench, unmoving, hanging her head low in growing sadness. Arachne stared down at her younger self in disbelief, her mouth almost hanging agape. Her hands tightened into fists.

"What are you doing?" she chided. "Don't just sit there, go after him!" Nothing. Arachne's anger-filled sorrow intensified.

"Go after him!" she yelled. Again, nothing. As her younger self remained on the bench, Arachne, feeling desperate and no longer caring if Free could see her or not, ran to meet up with him, who seemed to have stopped for a moment.

"Free, please!" she cried, her voice filling up with raw emotion. "I'm sorry! I truly am, wholeheartedly sorry! I know you cannot hear me, but if you did, I want you to know that I do love you! You will always have a special place in my heart, Free! And I will carry that love with me to my grave!"

Arachne suddenly let out a stunned gasp and covered her mouth at what she saw next. Free held in the palm of his hand, a small engagement ring with a heart-shaped purple diamond. He wordlessly stared down at it with sad eyes, and a single tear dripped down from his left eye and fell onto the ring. Free turned his hand into a fist, tightly holding onto the ring and placed it back into his coat pocket and continued to walk away. Arachne stood there completely frozen, utterly flabbergasted at what she had just seen. After all this time, she had never even once known about this, that this could have been the day Free asked her hand in marriage.

It could have been the happiest day in her entire life, if not the greatest. But because she was so blinded by her own greed and self-interest, she had squandered her chance at having more happiness. The chance to be with the one who loved her, much to her realization. With this new thought in mind, the painful feeling of regret consumed Arachne, and she fell to the floor on both her knees, letting the tears trickle down her face and pounding her fists to the ground, as if she were a spoiled child. Why? Just why did she let this happen? Just why did it have to be this way? How could she have been so foolish? Those words flooded her head as she continued to cry to her heavy heart's content. Excalibur appeared next to her and looked down at her with a puckered brow.

"You loved your wealth more than that brilliant man, who would've given you the entire world," he said almost harshly, "and you lost him forever."

"Excalibur, please, I cannot stand it!" she practically bellowed, wiping away the tears that poured from her eyes. "I cannot stand these memories! Please, take me home!"

"I will," he assured. "But first, there are a couple of things you should see before so. For all of the money that which you had gained. Now, you will be shown what you had lost."

With the snap of his fingers, Excalibur and Arachne were magically transported and found themselves in a nice-looking house. The ceiling was about seven feet tall, and there was a large television set in one corner. A medium-sized Christmas tree was located right next to the TV, and there were presents, large and small, circling around it. There was also a nice fire that glowed brightly in the fireplace. Above said fireplace was a large clock that read 7:15 in the evening. Arachne was confused and asked Excalibur where they were. Suddenly emerging from the front door was a young woman, who appeared to be somewhere around in his early-twenties, had long purple hair, and big yellow eyes. She was dressed in a comfortable black coat, a purple sweater, and some tight-fitting, dark-blue jeans. Hanging down from her right hand was a large brown bag.

"I'm home!" she called out. Immediately, emerging from downstairs came two children, both being about three years old, and following them behind was a grown man - Free, who appeared to be now well around in his thirties. It was all coming to together now in Arachne's mind. It was December 24th, 2013. These were Free's children, twin boys, whose names she remembered were Flair and Bree. And the purple-haired woman was his wife. What was her name again? That's right. Blair. Her name was Blair.

"Mommy's home!" One of the children exclaimed excitedly. Blair bent down and gave her two kids hugs and kisses.

"How are my little love bugs?" she asked happily.

"Great, mommy," Flair said, a big smile plastered on his little face.

"What's that, mommy?" the Bree asked, pointing to the bag in his mother's hands.

"Oh, you boys will have to wait until tomorrow," Blair said with a Cheshire smile. The twins jumped happily, as they both knew that tomorrow was in fact Christmas.

"You two better head on back to bed," Free said, for the first time since Blair came home, "Or else Santa might forget about us." With that, Flair and Bree immediately darted down the hallway and back upstairs. With them gone, Free turned back to Blair and smiled.

"Hey, babe," he muttered, before planting a firm kiss on her lips. Blair returned the affection.

"How did they do?" she asked.

"Oh, they were good," he answered. "They behaved very well." After moving on over to the kitchen and placing the large bag on top of the counter, Blair returned back to Free and grabbed him by the hands, and guided him towards the fireplace. Free became suspicions.

"Hey, what's going on here?" he asked with a smile.

"I've got something to tell you," she said. The two lovers knelt down by the fireplace and Blair continued to hold her husband's hands. She looked intently into his dark eyes.

"I saw an old friend of yours today," she stated.

"An old friend?" Free asked confusingly. Blair nodded and told him to guess. After a moment of thinking, Free asked if it was Joe Buttataki, but Blair said no. He asked if it was Eruka Frog, but again, Blair said no.

"Well, who was it then?" Free asked, giving up. But Blair urged him to guess one more. After thinking about it long and hard this time, the answer finally came to him. But Arachne could tell that from the look on his face, it did not seem happy.

"Arachne?" Free muttered.

"Yep," Blair said, nodding her head. "I passed by her mansion window, just this late afternoon. I couldn't help but notice her sitting by herself in her private library." Blair's happy face slowly began to morph into a saddened frown.

"I, uh," she paused for a moment and then gently shook her head. "I heard that her sister, Shaula, had recently passed away. And there Arachne sat. All by her lonesome... She is... She is quite alone in the world." Free let out a soft exhale and lightly hung his head low.

"Poor Arachne," he uttered sadly. "Poor, poor, girl." A large lump got stuck in Arachne's throat, and her hands began to tremble. She glanced back to Excalibur, who remained where he was silently since they first arrived.

"Excalibur," she said. "Please, take me home. I do not wish to see see anymore."

"One last more," he stated. A dreadful feeling swiftly came over her when he said that, feeling that told her what he meant.

"No..." she protested fearfully. "Excalibur, please no! Anything but that!"

Sadly, her words fell on deaf ears as the ghost whisked them both away from park and placed them into the middle of a large church filled with many people that lined all the pews, among them being herself, Medusa – who now had a large band-aid covering her left eyebrow, and a now ten-year-old Crona, who all sat wordlessly in mourn. Arachne didn't even have to ask Excalibur where they were, for she sincerely knew where they were. This was the day that became the final nail in the coffin for Arachne. And speaking of coffins, Arachne whisked around and saw the very thing she did not want to see. A casket laid at the end of the church alter, and what she saw shook her to the core. The dead and yet peaceful-looking body of Shaula Gorgon. Arachne turned away, more tears threatening to come out and her bottom lip trembling.

"This was the last straw for you, wasn't it?" asked Excalibur. "The very day that firmly cemented your hatred against Christmas."

"S-She was always a good sister," Arachne whimpered. "So pure, and so innocent. Her sweet smile was enough to make me happy. She was one of the only few friends I had left."

"Tell me, in your own words," Excalibur inquired. "How exactly did she die?" A couple times, Arachne sniffled and wiped away more of the tears that stained her face.

"She was on her way home for Christmas," she began. "Got into a terrible car accident. Slipped on some black ice. She was immediately rushed to the hospital, but she was announced dead on arrival. Medusa and Crona were with her when it happened." Excalibur turned to see Medusa, who still sat in one of the pews with Crona and her older sister.

"Well, that explains the band-aid," he said.

"That was how she got that nick on her left eyebrow." Arachne explained.

"Do you blame her for the accident?"

"No" Arachne simply said. "It was all Shaula's idea to drive. She had gotten her official license that day, and she wanted to surprise me."

"It was a miracle that Medusa and Crona survived," Excalibur stated. "You should consider yourself thankful that they are still alive even to the present day."

"And it cost me one loving sister in the end!" Arachne snapped. "Shaula was a sweet and blameless girl! She did not deserve to die!" She turned her gaze back over to the still and peaceful-looking dead body of Shaula. "If only I could have done something to prevent this from happening." With that, she then fell at the ghost's feet and cried some more, only this time, she did not bother to wipe away the tears, instead, she let them drip to the floor.

"Oh, I beg of you, Excalibur, please take me home! I cannot stand these painful memories anymore!" Without even snapping his fingers or another wave of his hand. The church disappeared into an empty blackened void. Slowly, the bottom half of the ghost's body dissipated into little twinkling yellow lights, almost as if he was turning into a swarm of fire sparks. Before disappearing for good, Excalibur uttered his last words.

"Remember, Arachne, you fashioned these memories yourself." And just like that, the ghost disappeared, leaving the miserable Arachne all by herself.

* * *

 **Good heavens above! I don't think I've ever written something this emotional before, not to mention that it has been a while since I wrote a chapter almost this long. I don't exactly remember the number, but it's close. Anyway, I hope that you all enjoyed this chapter and I look forward to hearing what you all think in your reviews.**

 **I must tell you all though, my original idea was for Arachne to visit her childhood orphanage instead of a boarding school. I don't know why I did not use it, maybe it was because I forgot about it, and leaned more on the original Christmas Carol story. My bad.**

 **Nice that I picked Excalibur as the Ghost of Christmas Past, eh? I owe it to jogonzaleza88 for giving me the idea. Thanks a lot, man. ;) And to make it fun, I made Excalibur human, not the oddball creature from the anime/manga. Oh, and I'm still waiting for you to get the references. Just in case you all forgot or don't know, there are almost numerous references from previous Christmas Carol adaptations throughout this story. If you all happen to spot them, please tell me in the form a review.**

 **Until then, have a splendid day.**


	4. Chapter 4: The Second of the Ghosts

**(I do not own Soul Eater, Soul Eater NOT!, or any other related names. All rights belong to Manga Entertainment, Madman Entertainment, Square Enix, and Atsushi Okubo)**

 **Do not forget to read, review, favorite, and follow.**

* * *

 **\- Chapter Four -**

 **The Second of the Ghosts**

 **1:59 in the morning...**

Arachne's eyes shot wide open and then she shot herself upwards until she sat on her bed. Beads of sweat cascaded down her brow and she breathed heavily as she gazed frantically around her bedroom. She saw that her room had remained undisturbed since after she had left. Left? Or was it all a dream the entire time? This, Arachne did not know, but she hoped it was the latter. She looked about and saw that her own bathrobe still hung on the coat hanger where it was before. Seeing this made her relax a little bit more. So, it really was a dream after all. And yet it was so real. Arachne simply shook her head at all of this. Perhaps a goodnight sleep would do her good. Once Arachne leaned back into her bed, she pulled the covers of her blanket closer to her and rested peacefully into her pillow. Though she tried to sleep as much as she could, she found herself unable to, for the alleged dream had made her restless.

Abruptly, her grandfather clock suddenly rang in her room, causing her to wake up again in seconds. Here, a terrible feeling came over her as she remembered the very next thing that was going to happen next. Expect the second ghost at two o'clock. Woosh! The fire in the fireplace lit up all by itself. Arachne sat back up at this unexpected action. And then, a powerful and mighty voice called out to her.

"Arachne Gorgon!" it said. Arachne turned and saw a face appear near her bedroom doorway, the face of a rugged yet handsome-looking older man. The man appeared to be much older, possibly closer to his forties, had a full-grown beard and long hair. He was garbed in a full-length robe, which covered the remainder of his body. In completion, the man also wore a long triple-wrapped scarf, which terminated in a spherical bead and various tassels at the end. Her bedroom had completely changed. The walls and ceiling were hung with living green, with holly and wreaths, mistletoe and ivy.

Arachne was even more surprised when she saw that the man was surrounded by an overabundance of food; ranging from minced and apple pies, roasted turkeys, suckling pig, clean-cut slabs of cooked ham with raspberry mustard, platters filled with an assortment of fruit, plum puddings, standing crust meat pies, chestnuts, fruitcakes, strawberry cheesecakes, beef wellington, cranberry sauce, large bowls of punch, you name it. These were all the things Arachne saw. She could not believe that there was so much food in one place. It was possibly enough to feed over thirty people at least.

"Come!" called the man, who sat on a chair with a straightened posture. "Come closer and know me better, woman!" At first, she hesitated, but finally made up her mind and she got up softly from her bed, put on her robe, shuffled in her slippers, and carefully walked up to the man.

"I do not think I need to ask you who you are, right?" she asked. The man nodded with a smile.

"Quite right, my dear Arachne," he said. "You see, I am the Ghost of Christmas Present."

"I see..." Arachne muttered, intrigued by the ghost's appearance.

"You have never seen the likes of me before, have you?" the ghost asked.

"No, I have not," Arachne answered. "You look quite different than the last ghost. Alright then... Um... I do not suppose you have a name as well?"

"Eibon," he simply said.

"Right," she uttered. "Eibon, if I may ask of you, before we leave... well, it is just that... this food." Eibon smiled.

"Spectacular, isn't it?" he asked. "Truly, one of the many greatest things to enjoy in life."

"But where did this all come from?"

"From the heart, Arachne." Eibon answered. "This is the food of generosity. That which you have long denied your fellow men." Arachne shot him an offended look.

"Generosity?! Bah!" she barked, turning her back on Eibon and crossing her arms. "Nobody has ever shown _me_ generosity!" The ghost rose from his seat.

"That's because you've never given a them reason to," he argued, which Arachne could not deny was the cold and hard truth. Eibon's voice softened. "And yet, there are those who still find enough warmth in their hearts for the likes of you." Arachne shook her head and frowned deeply before turning back to Eibon.

"I seriously doubt that," she grunted. "I assure you."

"Oh, we shall see," said Eibon.

He then extended his hand out to her. Of course, Arachne knew what that meant, and with ease, she placed here slenderous hand cautiously into his own and without further ado, off the two were in a blinding field of light. After the light had died down, Arachne realized that she and Eibon now stood in the middle of a bustling marketplace. Arachne looked around as every stall and store were lined with customers. It was now bright and sunny, and every person was happy and joyful. Arachne finally understood. It was now Christmas morning in Death City.

The children shouted with joy and ran around in the streets and sidewalks, playing in the snow, or sliding across the ice-covered streets. The people strolled on carrying stacks of presents for their friends and families, and a church bell rang in the distance. One of the markets, Arachne noticed, had a large turkey hanging at the front window, while a goose hung next to it. Other folks were passing around flyers for tonight's Christmas church service. In the center of the marketplace was a tall decorated Christmas tree that was more than three stories high.

Encircling around the tree was a massive chorus of people who all sang Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, along with musical instruments playing in the background. It was as if the London Symphony Orchestra had come to town. At seeing all of this, at seeing everything right before here, Arachne could not help of smile impressively, and felt a little choked up inside. Truly, all of it was beautiful, very beautiful indeed. Was this what Christmas looked like? Full of happiness and cheer, full of miracle and wonder? With beauty and contentment?

If so, then her eyes must have been closed pretty tight.

"You see, Arachne?" Eibon asked. "This is the true meaning of Christmas and all what it is about; peace on earth, goodwill toward man. Everything always look so wonderful at this time of year. Have you ever noticed that?" Arachne's smile turned into an ashamed countenance.

"To tell you the truth," Arachne said with a sheepish expression, "No. Perhaps I have never understood about it."

"Before the day is over," Eibon said with a smile, "you will."

With a single snap of his fingers, the pair were enveloped in a ray of light and then found themselves in a different section of the city. The day passed on as the sun was now in a different position in the sky. Arachned asked Eibon what the time was, and the ghost said that it was now a quarter passed five. Eibon led Arachne down a quiet lane in a small, 50's style suburban neighborhood, where each and every house was decorated with multicolored lights and other assortment of Christmas decorations. Santa snowmen were set in the front yards, plastic reindeers and Santa's slays were fixed on the top of every roof, with adult-sized candy canes and nutcracker soldier men placed near the front doors and side fences. Some of the lights twinkled on and off while others did not. But there was one specific house, Arachne noticed, that barely had any decorations. Sure, there were a few lights here and there, but that was just about it, and this almost threw Arachne off. She turned to Eibon.

"Why have we come to this part of town?" she asked curiously. Eibon pointed to the barely decorated house.

"Don't you recognize this house?" he asked. "This is the home of Spirit Albarn, and his wife, Medusa, your sister."

Arachne stared at the ghost disbelievingly. This was where Medusa lived? This was indeed her own house? Just as she was about to ask another question, a car suddenly pulled up to the driveway and parked closely in front of the closed garage door, and out came a redhaired man with bags of groceries in his arms. The man, whom Arachne recognized as Medusa's husband, was named Spirit Albarn. He was a tallish man, though only an inch or two taller than Arachne. He appeared to have an average-looking build about him, and he had long shoulder-length red hair, blue eyes, and was aged thirty-one years old.

He was dressed in a black wool jacket, a grayish-green t-shirt, and a scarf around his neck. He also wore bright blue Levi's and brown boots. Arachne watched as Spirit made his way into the front door of the house, had short difficulty getting his keys out, unlocked the door, and walked inside, and was greeted by the excitement of his two children, his stepson, Crona, who was now fifteen years old at this point, and his daughter, Maka, who was two years younger than Crona.

Crona, as was just mentioned, was fifteen years old and he appeared to be androgynous-looking, was quite thin, had pink hair and lavender eyes. His hair was quite short, with several long, large clumps sticking out in several places. His bangs were straight-cut and ended above the eyebrows, but did not stay very uniform. Two long pieces of hair extended from the bangs and hang low over his face. Maka Albarn, Spirit Albarn's daughter, as was also mentioned before, was two years younger than her stepbrother, making her thirteen years of age. She had long wheat-blond hair tied into two pigtails and olive-green eyes. She was also a few inches shorter than Crona. They gave Spirit hugs and kisses, as they were very happy that he made it to help set up Christmas dinner. Medusa walked up to Spirit and planted a kiss on his check.

"Sorry it took long," he said. "I had to drive through every store just to find the right kinds of cranberry."

"Well, I guess we're just lucky then, aren't we?" Medusa said with a smile.

And so, in about almost two hours, the table was all set up nicely and was filled with food. Although, it was not very impressive-looking like all the other Christmas dinners, Arachne realized, as she examined what they had. All there was on the table was a simple cooked goose, a large bowl filled with peas and carrots, another large bowl filled with homestyle mash potatoes along with a side of homemade gravy, and of course, the cranberry sauce, which Spirit worked very hard to find. Arachne saw all of this with a raised eyebrow, turned to Eibon, and said,

"Not exactly what I would call a traditional Christmas dinner. And not to mention, the goose looks a little bit small."

"It was all Spirit and Medusa could afford," Eibon informed.

The way the ghost had said those words made it sound like he was trying to make Arachne feel guilty for not distribution some of her own money to help her remaining family, about what she could have done to help them have a much better meal than what they had right now, had she stepped in and become involved in their lives. It was as if he was really saying, "They are poor and have very little money to keep themselves afloat, no thanks to you," which was exactly what Eibon was intending for it to sound like. Arachne continued to watch, and despite how the food was and how smallish the goose itself appeared, Medusa and her household still beamed with contentment and gratefulness. As the Albarn's sat down for their meager-ish feast, Arachne, for the first time in forever, at last understood how much more important love was than money. She remembered how sad and alone her own life was, at how little joy her money saving, and Christmas hating had brought her.

Before dinner had begun, Medusa, Crona, Maka, and Spirit stopped for a moment and said a word of prayer. And so, they all bowed their heads, closed their eyes, and folded their hands. Medusa was the first to speak.

"O Lord," she started, "we pray tonight and thank You for the happiness You brought into our family. We pray and thank You for giving us a wonderful Christmas and remembering Your Son's birth into this world. We pray that this food will be a blessing to the nourishment of our bodies, and we ask that the hands who prepared it be blessed as well. Thank You so much for giving us a splendid 2017, and hope that next year would be good as well..."

Medusa paused for a moment, and then continued.

"And please, Lord," she went on, but this time, there was a hint of sadness in her voice. "... help my sister, Arachne, for her soul is lost in the darkness and needs Your light to guide her. I'm asking, no, begging from the very bottom of my heart that You would save her, and deliver her from the black abyss that shrouds over her. Please, help her to realize how lucky she is to have a family that still loves her and cares for her. Please, let her know that she is not alone, and never will be, and that she doesn't have to be. And help her to understand the true meaning of Christmas, and all that it stands for. I pray that You will help her see the light in the dark and the error of her ways. Have mercy on her, Lord, and save her before it's too late. In Your Son's name I pray to You, Amen."

And with a unisoned "Amen," the family dug into the food and ate peacefully and talked, while Arachne stared absolutely stunned by what she had just listened to. She truly could not believe what she was hearing, could not grasp at the amount of broken heartedness that Medusa had carried within her as she prayed those genuinely heartfelt words. Arachne had no idea that her own loving, caring, and cheerful-natured sister was hurting this badly. Her heart sank deeply into her chest, and she felt undeniably regretful at how she treated her the other day. Just before dinner was over, she begged Eibon to show her a more pleasant scenario, and with a wave of his hand, time had sped up to eight thirty-five in the evening.

The Albarn house was now filled with more people. Friends of the family had come over from different parts of the city and played some fun-looking games. Sitting in the living room couch were the Thompson sisters, Liz and her younger sibling Patty, along with a white-haired boy named Soul Evans, and there was also Tsubaki Nakatsukasa and her older brother Masamune, who stood behind said couch. To Arachne's initial surprise, her former schoolmates, Joe Buttataki and Yumi Azusa, were here as well. Even Medusa's former high school sweetheart, Franken Stein, whom was also a childhood friend of Spirit Albarn's. Throughout the entirety of this little get-together, everyone continued to play games such as Marco Polo, Name that Carol, an Ornament guessing game, Yes and No, Pin the Nose on Rudolph, and of course, Charades, a long family favorite. Sure, everyone could love charades, but not as much as this family.

Arachne noticed Patty Thompson and a young blonde-haired boy around her age, whose name was Hiro, standing at the living room doorway talking and laughing, and flirting? Well, it was mostly Patty doing the flirting. The two then looked up, and noticed a mistletoe hanging above. At first, Hiro blushed shyly, but Patty smiled slyly, and with nothing to stop her, connected her lips to his until the two were now firmly locked in a tender kiss. Patty wrapped her hands around Hiro behind his neck, while Hiro placed his hands on her cheeks, and the two pulled each other closer to try and deepen the kiss, which worked. A sudden wave of passion consumed the two. And just when it looked like things were about to heat up, a sudden wolf whistle almost resonated throughout the house. Patty and Hiro immediately pulled away and felt awkward and looked bashful as everyone watched them with smiles and clapping and cheers and encouragements for them to do it again.

Deciding why not, Patty and Hiro pulled each other back into the kiss until it became passionate.

Spirit eyed the young Soul Evans and warned him not to do the same thing to his precious Maka, as any father would do out of protection for their loving daughter.

Arachne watched, and sighed dreamily with a smile at this beautiful act of young love between Patty and Hiro, but then frowned sadly at how much this scene resembled what had happened between her and... Free. Arachne looked away with closed eyes. Oh, how she deeply missed him and the times they spent together. If she had the power to turn back time to the moment just before he left her, she would tell him right away how much she truly loved him and would not let anything come between their affection. If only such a power were possible. After everything had eventually calmed down, Medusa made an announcement, that her son, Crona was going to sing for them all. Arachne was a little confused by this. Crona could sing? How come no one told her of this? But then, she remembered who she was to everyone. After everyone had gathered around, Crona, who stood in front of the Christmas tree, could not help but feel a bit nervous. But eventually, he mustered up the courage and spoke.

"I would like to dedicate this song to my beloved aunt Arachne," he announced. "I really wish she was here to watch."

At first, this caught everyone off guard. Mostly at the unexpected mention of the most feared and despised woman in Death City. They were all mostly surprised when he put her in the category of "Beloved." But for Arachne, what Crona had said made her feel like she had been struck by a mallet straight to her heart. It was truly something she could not believe. In spite of who she was, no matter how terrible she acted, no matter how much of a monster she was to everybody, Eibon's words rang true, there actually were those with love in their hearts for a wretch like her. Arachne stood quiet as Crona cleared his throat. Once Soul Evens began playing the piano, upon Medusa's request, Crona sung the lyrics to Away in a Manger.

What followed suit was something Arachne did not expect at all. While everyone watched on happily, she felt completely slack jawed. She never even once knew that her nephew's voice could sound so melodic, so heavenly. Not once did Crona go off key or lose pace, he sang it all so wonderfully and yet flawlessly perfect. A voice that would make even the likes of Simon Cowell fall to his knees and cry with jealousy. Crona continued on with his singing and sang the last verse of the song.

 _Be near me, Lord Jesus; I ask thee to stay_

 _Close by me forever, and love me I pray._

 _Bless all the dear children in thy tender care,_

 _And take us to Heaven to live with thee there._

Once after he had finished, everyone in the room clapped with joy, even Arachne, who still stood by silently with Eibon next to her, clapping slowly and softly with a proud smile on her face. Once everyone had settled down, Crona said the sweetest thing Arachne had ever heard.

"God bless us, everyone!" But the excitement for it all was too much for him, and he started coughing. Everybody became concerned and asked him if he was alright. Crona basically brushed this off and said that he just needed some water. At seeing this, Arachne had a sudden terrible feeling about the future, that something was not quite right with Crona. Unseen, she walked up and lightly bent down closer to the boy.

"Eibon," she said, worry filling her voice. "Please, tell me. What is wrong with Crona? What is happening to my nephew?" The ghost was not happy then, and looked down at the boy with a sad expression.

"Much, I'm afraid," he informed grimly. "For you see, the boy is becoming sick. Neither he nor his family know it. Heed this warning, Arachna; if the coming events remain unchanged, if the future is not altered, I see an empty chair where Crona Gorgon Albarn once sat." Dread came over Arachne like wildfire, a look of horror written on her face, and the most terrible idea came her to head.

"Then that means," she said dreadfully, her bottom lip beginning to tremble, "he will... Oh, please no. Please, God in Heaven, have mercy on his innocent soul. He does not deserve to die." Eibon then turned to face her, and his expression hardened.

"Oh, but why do _you_ care?" he remarked unfriendly-like. "After all, you said it yourself; he is much better off without you in his life, and certainly you are better off without him in yours, right Arachne?"

Hearing her own spoken words pour out from Eibon's venom-filled lips made Arachne feel even worse and more remorseful. She clenched her hands into fists, bit the bottom of her lip, and tightly closed her eyes shut, as a single tear cascaded down her left cheek. The terrible thing was that she had meant those words. But now, Arachne wished that she could take them back and show her nephew how much he meant to her. She was desolate, and her time with Eibon was almost about to come to an end. An hour or two later, after everyone had left, Medusa, now dressed in a white, short-sleeved shirt with blue hems and a pair of tight-fitting pale-blue jeans, sat peacefully next to the front room window, sipping on a mug filled with rich hot chocolate. As she peacefully gazed out at the calm snow-covered yet lit up neighborhood, Spirit walked up and sat next to her with a mug of hot chocolate of his own.

"How ya doin', hon?" he asked. Medusa nodded her head and said that she was alright. However, Spirit sensed otherwise, and easily figured it out. He sighed and lightly shook his head.

"Why do you waste your time trying, Medusa?" Spirit asked. "Let's just face the facts, alright? She's never coming over. You might as well stop staring out the window looking for her."

"Spirit, please," Medusa said. But Spirit did not relent.

"And even if she did come," he said but with a hint of disdain in his voice this time, "the first thing I'd do is give her a good piece of my mind, that's for sure."

"Sweetheart," she tried again. "Please, calm down."

"How can I, when people like _her_ exist?" Spirit asked after sighing frustratingly.

"I know that Arachne's not perfect," was Medusa's answer. "None of us are. But she is still my sister, and I love her." Spirit closed his eyes and lightly shook his head.

"I still think you're wasting your time," he said. "And why should I show compassion to such an abhorrent, bitter, black-hearted, devil-woman like her?"

"Because it's what God would've wanted you to do," she stated. "If you talk like that, then you're no better than she is." Spirit remained silent for a moment, sighed, and spoke again, but in a much calmer tone this time.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," he said, gently placing his hand tenderly on top of hers. "It's just that she really frustrates the ever living heck out of me. I just can't understand how someone like her could be so... so... You know what I mean." Medusa sat down her hot chocolate and rested herself on Spirit's chest. Spirit wrapped his arms lovingly around her.

"Just be patient, Spirit," she muttered, but still loud enough for him to hear. "She'll come around. Just wait."

"Let's hope so," he agreed. "Cause only God knows where she's headed if she doesn't wise up." And that was something Medusa very much feared the most. Spirit gently pushed her up to that he could face her, placed both of his hands on her cheeks, and planted a soft and comforting kiss on her lips. Medusa returned her lover's affection and helped deepen the kiss. After a couple more passionate kisses, the two separated and stared lovingly into each other's eyes.

"Come to bed?" she whispered as she rubbed her nose against his. Spirit gently caressed her blonde hair and smiled at his wife.

"Sure thing, babe," he responded. And so, Medusa grabbed her hot chocolate, grabbed Spirit's free hand, and stood back up on her feet while pulling him up to his own feet as well. Just before the couple went for the stairs, she got up to his face, almost nose-to-nose, and flashed him a sultry smile and gave him a quick smooch.

"I hope you're ready for tonight, big boy," she said with a seductive giggle. "Because I've got a very special Christmas present just for you upstairs." Spirit flashed his wife a naughty-looking grin.

"Oh, I'm looking forward to it," And so, Medusa, still holding her husband's hand, led him to the stairs. As the pair ascended upwards, she mischievously swung her hips left and right in a sensual manner, while also making sure that she walked up at a certain level, so Spirit could have a nice view of her sexy heart-shaped rear and get him more excited. After the two disappeared once after reaching the top of the stairs, Arachne stood by and lightly snorted with a tiny smile. _She was always quite a naughty girl when it came to men,_ she thought.

"Medusa always did have a caring heart," Arachne said to Eibon, after remaining silent for a short spell.

"Indeed," he agreed. "You should count yourself lucky to have such a wonderful sister like her, who has shown you nothing but the compassion that which you have scorned." This made Arachne feel even more terrible than before, and she hung her head low in shame. All those things she had said to Medusa the other day, she wished she could take back, wished that she did not treat her own sister in such a poor and resentful manner. What had Medusa done to deserve Arachne's antipathy? _Nothing,_ Arachne concluded. But there was another thing that bothered her. Eibon noticed this and asked what was the matter.

"Nothing," she said. "It is just about what Spirit had said earlier. Just the other day, I met a woman with a group of friends from the Death City Charity Foundation. She called me those exact same words when I crudely refused to give a donation. Thinking about it now, I wish to have a few more words with her and her friends, that is all."

"I see," he said. And so, with another wave of his hand, Eibon spirited both he and Arachne away until they now stood in the middle of the darkened city plaza, now completely empty, devoid of life. Arachne gazed around confusingly and looked at the ghost.

"Why are we here in the city plaza?" she asked.

"Come with me," he beckoned. "There is one last thing I must show you."

And so, Eibon took the rich woman a nearby, open-spaced alleyway, and Arachne saw practically shocked her. The alleyway was filled with people, living inside tents and dressed in raggedy clothing. Most of them tried to keep themselves warm by a homemade fire in one of the steel barrel drums. A few men and women sat outside, sitting on filthy bed mattress while trying to stay warm from the bitter cold with torn up blankets. A few more men and women rummaged around some of the trashcans in search for whatever thrown away food they could find. There was a lone mother holding a small and crying infant in her arms. Arachne could not believe what she was seeing. She turned to Eibon.

"What is this horrible place?" she asked with despair in her voice.

"This is where the homeless live," he said grimly. "When society is too caught up in their own lives, they become blinded to those who are much less fortunate than us. People whom the world had abandoned and forgotten; families forced out of their homes, veterans returning home from war unable to live a civilian life, children eating nothing but scraps, others who waist their lives on drugs and alcohol, and employees who got terrible screwed over by their bosses."

Still, this was all too much for Arachne to take. Was this what it was like to be poor? To have nothing and could only live on whatever scraps they had? This all looked like a bad dream. No, this was more than a bad dream. This was more like a living nightmare. Arachne turned to Eibon.

"Is there no better refuge for these people?" she asked. "Are there no proper homes or living conditions for them?"

"Well, why don't they go work in the factories?" Eibon remarked, almost venomously. "Or better yet, nice and warm prison cells where they belong? After all, you said it yourself, Arachne. They are not worth it."

"Again, you use my own words against me," Arachne said. "I understand, Eibon. I truly do. What I said was unforgivably horrible and I take it back. I take it all back. And–" She stopped for a moment and noticed something strange happening to the travelling companion. She pointed this out to him and the ghost explained.

"It's three quarters passed eleven," he informed. "At the strike of twelve, I will depart from this world and return to Heaven."

"What? No, please!" she begged. "Please, do not go! I have learned so much from you! Please, do not leave me!" Eibon only shook his head.

"I'm afraid I must,"

"No, please!" she pleaded again. "Do not leave me alone here in this place!" And just like that, a nearby church bell rang in the distance. Arachne knew what that meant. Twelve o'clock, midnight.

And so, Eibon, the Ghost of Christmas Present disappeared into a cloud of glittering dust, leaving the miserable Arachne Gorgon all by herself.

* * *

 **So far, so good. This story is turning out really well, and I hope you guys are liking it. And also, I hope you guys liked the little Patty x Hiro I included this chapter. I don't know why, but I thought that they would make a cute couple. My other reason for including Hiro was because the poor guy does not get enough love. He only had ONE episode in the anime and that was it. I would've loved to see him grow more as a character in the show.**

 **Oh, and you all might want a to brace yourselves for the Ghost of Christmas Future. I've written him to be very terrifying. He is not a nice person, and he is not gonna hold any punches when he show's Arachne what will happen if she doesn't change her ways.**

 **And so, without further ado, please, enjoy this week of December and have a wonderful winter. ;)**


	5. Chapter 5: The Third of the Ghosts

**(I do not own Soul Eater, Soul Eater NOT!, or any other related names. All rights belong to Manga Entertainment, Madman Entertainment, Square Enix, and Atsushi Okubo)**

 **Please, don't forget to read, review, favorite, and follow.**

 **We are this close, people. Really, really close to the end of this story, and I cannot wait to show you guys what happens next. This is possibly one of gloomiest chapters that I had ever written. If you all thought chapter 3 was emotional, just wait until you check this one out.**

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 **\- Chapter Five -**

 **The Third of the Ghosts**

Arachne stood in the middle of the alleyway, all alone and scared. She gazed around aimlessly, and heard strange and horrible noises that jolted her senses up to one hundred. Just why in the world would Eibon just leave her like this? Did he believe that she was not punished enough and saw fit to make her suffer even more? Was it because he did not have enough time to return her home? These questions continued to fill her mind as she carefully gazed around the now empty alleyway.

"Eibon?" she called out. "Come back! I want to talk!" Nothing came in response and Arachne spoke again, but softly this time.

"I know I have made mistakes here and there," she muttered. "But you cannot just leave me here all by myself because of those mistakes. Oh, please come back. Don't leave me here in this awful place... I'm begging you. Have pity on me... Do not leave me." And of course, nothing came in response to her pleas. Feeling defeated, Arachne hung her head.

"What have I done... to be abandoned like this?" she wondered.

Many different answers went through her. Because she was selfish, because she had mistreated others, because of her stubbornly shallow views towards Christmas, because she refused to have happiness again into her life. Just when she thought it could not get any worse for her, mist began to form beneath her feet. She saw that the mist then suddenly enveloped her and blinded her sight. In an act of fright, Arachne started to run, but when she simply took one step in her attempt, her foot caught on something and she fell to the snow-covered ground.

Once the mist died down, she realized that she was no longer in the alleyway, but instead found herself in the middle of a graveyard.

A feeling of despair came about her as she gazed around at the field covered with numerous tombstones belonging to the long deceased. It was a lonely place, choked with grass and weeds. What had caught her full attention was that the mist all around her slowly turned from white and then dark gray, and then finally black. Ghostly whispers began to echo around the dark and desolate graveyard, whispers so spine-chilling and almost nerve-racking, accompanied by inhuman moans. Arachne's heart thumped hard and nearly fast in her chest and she felt her body tremble in what could be simply described as petrifying terror. The black mist suddenly moved around and slithered like serpents towards the center of the graveyard until it formed into a human-sized pillar, with glowing yellow dots forming into what looked like eyes near the top, which Arachne felt were threatening to pierce into her soul. She continued to watch, frozen in fear, as the black mist formed into what looked like a human figure.

Finally, the pillar-like mist dissipated, where a dark human-looking figure now stood in its place. The figure had the appearance of a pale-faced young man possibly around in his twenties. Of course, Arachne could only have guessed that he appeared to be that age simply because of his height and build. The ghost was dressed in nothing but all black 19th century inspired clothing with an ankle-length frock coat, a cravat, and a double-breasted waistcoat.

She saw his lips, his chin, jawline, and the bottom of his nose, but she was unable to see the upper half of his ghostly-pale face, for it was hidden by the shadow created by the black hood he wore over his head. The only things she could see were the ever so glowing yellow eyes that still carried an essence of pure darkness and terror. Hissing ghostly voices lowly echoed around him as if he was carrying around with him the souls of the dead as his only company. Just everything about this figure's appearance was truly the stuff that nightmares were built upon. Arachne slowly stood back up on her feet and tried to compose herself.

"W-Who are you?" she asked. But the figure did not respond. "... Are you the Ghost of Christmas Future?" The figure stood silent but then inclined his head into a single nod.

"Are you going to show me the things that have not yet happened," Arachne asked. "but eventually will happen?" Again, the ghost simply nodded as his glowing yellow eyes continued to be fixed intently upon her, as if he was trying to pierce into her soul. Because of this, Arachne averted her gaze from him, lightly bowed her head and breathed heavily, as her fearful heart continued to thump in her chest.

"Out of all the other ghosts that I have met so far," she said, "you are beyond the most terrifying I have ever met, for you bare the image of Death itself. Um, is it alright with you if I call you that?" The ghost remained silent.

"Oh Death," she muttered. "I have learned so much from the other ghosts, and tonight, I shall learn from you as well. Lead on, Death. Lead on."

Death placed a cold hand on Arachne's shoulder and pointed into the distance. Arachne knew that she was meant to follow the phantom, though she was terribly fearful. She had learned much from her two ghostly visitors and was ready now to learn what this final specter had to teach. Or so she thought. They eased on over through the graveyard and into the swallowing darkness.

When the light returned, Arachne found herself once again on the streets of Death City. It was now raining, and she saw a small group of business men with umbrellas, talking amongst themselves. It was very clear to her that they were talking about someone, a woman, who had just lately passed away, but their conversation was far from being sad. In fact, they were all laughing and joking about it. Arachne was utterly shocked to see this. Just whose death would cause so little of emotion in such people?

"Have these men no respect for the dead?" she said, after turning to Death. "And what do they have to do with me?"

But of course, she could get no clarification from Death who guided her once again. The ghost then led her to a small ragpickers establishment, where people brought in things to sell. It was a somewhat small-looking place, with a roof that reached up to be a little over two stories high and the shells were filled with old trinkets and antics. There were three young girls, one was holding some collar buttons, the second carried some bed curtains over her shoulder, and the third was carrying some sheets and blankets. They had with them the possessions of the dead woman spoken about earlier by the business men.

The three girls, whose names were Tsugumi, Meme, and Anya, walked up to the front desk of the ragpickers establishment where a thirty-year-old man stood behind. The man had a bland tan skin tone and had a varied types of piercings, along with a metal necklace. Both of his eyes and hair color were a calm brown, and his hair was spiked, in several places, to resemble a series of blades.

"Alright, you three," he said, rubbing his hands delightfully. "Let's see what you got for ol' uncle Giriko." The three girls handed him the stuff they carried with them and placed them on top of his desk. Giriko held the collar buttons in his hands and inspected them. He estimated that they would cost a mere one dollar and fifty-five cents all together. He then went to the cash register and gave Tsugumi the amount into her hands. He then moved on over to the bed curtains and inspected them as well.

"I'd say..." he paused for a moment, turning to Meme. "I'll give you twenty bucks for the curtains." Meme looked at Giriko offended.

"What?!" she exclaimed. "That's even less than the amount you gave me last time!"

"Twenty dollars," Giriko answered. "That's all you're gonna get right now, kid. Unless ya got something better."

"Giriko, those are high quality curtains," Tsugumi chimed in. "Surely you could reconsider based on the fact that they use to belong to... _her_." Giriko became suddenly intrigued by what he had just heard. He stroke his chin in thought and then finally made up his mind.

"Alright then, sweetheart I'll raise you forty-five." With that, Giriko went back to the register, pulled out forty-five dollars and handed them to Meme.

"Alright, Anya, let's see what you got," Giriko moved aside the buttons and curtains, and examined the sheets and blankets. He stopped for a moment and looked at Anya.

"Why, Anya," he said. "These blankets are still warm. You know I don't pay extra for the warmth."

"Well, you should," Anya said, a terrible smile growing across her face. "These were all the warmth that old wretch of a woman ever had."

"And now, she has all the warmth she has..." Giriko added, "down bellow, of course." With that, all three girls laughed and giggled with sadistic glee as did Giriko along with them. Not one of them had even a single tear to shed and not a sad thing to say. Arachne felt crushed by what she saw. Just how and why would these people show such delight over someone's death? She turned to the ghost.

"Oh Death," she pleaded. "Please show me some tenderness in this world. Let me see some depth of feeling."

Without a word, Death enveloped himself and her in pitch darkness, but then reemerged in another part of town. Here, Arachne found herself upon familiar grounds. It was Medusa's house again. She felt happy to be back at this warm and joyous place. But something seemed wrong. As wrong as wrong could be. It was quiet inside. And strangely empty. The only trace of life the house had were Medusa and Maka, who sat on the dining room table. While Medusa read today's afternoon mail, Maka quietly read in her hands a copy of the Bible. Medusa gazed down at the tiny stack of bills laid before her, stone-faced. But then, she stopped for a moment. A sad expression formed on her face and hung her head low. Maka noticed this and set her Bible down.

"You okay, Mama?" she asked with concern. Medusa looked up and lightly smiled at her stepdaughter.

"It's nothing, sweetheart," she said. "I'm fine. Everything's fine." But the look on her face from before told Arachne a different story. As realization began to set in, she shook her head fearfully.

"No... " she uttered. "God in Heaven, please no. Don't let this be what I think it is."

When the sound of the front doorknob being turned irrupted, Medusa did what she could to try and compose herself as if nothing had happened. Walking through the front door and into the living room was Spirit Albarn, who had returned home from work. After Maka stood up, and gave him a hug and kiss and made her way to the kitchen to help get ready for dinner, and after Spirit hung his wool jacket on a nearby coat hanger, he went over to the table and stood behind Medusa. He placed both his hands comfortingly onto her shoulders and lightly kissed the top of her head.

"How are we doing?" he asked with a mutter. Medusa sighed tiredly.

"Good," she said. "How was work?" Spirit shrugged his shoulders.

"Same old, same old," he stated.

"Dinner will be ready in five minutes." Medusa said. And so, after those five minutes had passed, dinner was placed upon the table. The family said their prayers and ate their plates and bowled filled with pot roast and Irish stew. As they continued to dig into their meal, not one of them smiled or talked. Not Spirit, Maka, or Medusa. Nothing but deafening silence filled the dinner table. After a while, Spirit finally mustered up the will to speak.

"This stew is really good," he said. "And... Um... What do you think Maka." His daughter nodded her head and said the same thing as he did. After another moment of awkward silence, Spirit cleared his throat and spoke again. But he knew that what he was about to say would be too painful for his wife and daughter to hear, even for him. But still, they had to know.

"I'd, uh... " he hesitated "I'd picked a spot for Crona where he can see... " But when he openly mentioned his stepson's name, Spirit stopped for a moment, as his throat started to become choked up losing the battle of trying to contain the pain and sorrow that dwelled within him.

"It's a spot on the hill, near the side of the city, where you can see the ducks on the river. Crona–" Spirit stopped again, unable to finish the next painfilled words.

"Crona always loved watching the ducks on the river," Medusa finished for her husband. But soon, she too could not help but break down as she hung her head low and started to cry again. Spirit got up from his seat and moved on over to his wife's location, as did Maka, and the family held each other close and continued to cry their broken hearts out.

"My boy," Medusa whimpered, "my special baby boy." Arachne stared on with her mouth covered by both hands, her face written with dread as her worst nightmares has been fully confirmed. She thought that she was ready for what Death was going to show her, but nothing had prepared her for something so heart-wrenching as this. It was as if her entire world had now fallen apart.

"No... No, this cannot be happening!" she exclaimed overcome by grief. "Oh, dear God, please no!"

Arachne fell to her weakened knees and pounded her fists onto the floor. How could this be? How could her own nephew, that sweet little boy, have died? Then the cold and rock-hard truth came to her in her mind. She did this. It was she who had made this future possible. She was responsible for having Crona ripped away from Medusa and her family's lives, replacing it with nothing but pain and heartache. She was the cause for their anguish and suffering. It was all her fault. _I am so sorry, Medusa,_ she mentally thought. _I'm the one who deserve this pain, not you._ Arachne turned to Death, who looked down at her with a hateful-looking sneer on his dark face.

"Death, please understand," she said tearfully. "I did not mean for this to happen. Tell me, please tell me, that these events can still be changed."

With that, Death once again enveloped Arachne and himself in petrifying darkness. After it had dissipated, Arachne had suddenly found herself outside, back to the dark and terrible graveyard. Thunder and lightning struck from the melancholy sky above. She turned to the ghost for answers.

"Why have we come back here?" she asked. Death responded by pointing a pale finger at a certain grave that was being buried by two men with shovels. The two men appeared to be twin brothers, for they both looked the same, in skin tone, eye color, hair, and everything. They were cemetery workers. The two of them laughed and carried on while filling up the grave.

"I tell you what, Noah," one said, "I don't think I've ever seen a funeral like this one." Noah inhaled a lit cigarette and blew out a cloud of smoke.

"You got that right, Grimoire," said the twin brother. "No mourners and no friends to bid her farewell." Grimoire paused for a second, held up his arm and looked at his wristwatch. He smiled.

"Oh well," he said. "Let's say we go rest for a minute, eh?"

"But shouldn't we finish this first?" asked Noah. Grimoire looked down at the unfilled burial for a short spell and up at his twin brother. He grinned.

"Nah, I think it's fine," he stated. "And besides, it's not like she's going anywhere." And just like that, the two brothers laughed at those words as they walked out of the graveyard and disappeared out of sight. After watching this, Arachne turned to the ghost and swallowed a hard lump stuck in her throat.

"Death," she said. "I fear our time together is very close at hand. Before we depart, there is a question I must ask of you. I am very much afraid of it, but I must know for sure. Just who was the wretched woman whose death brought so much glee and happiness to others?" The ghost remained silent and still held his pointed finger towards the gravestone.

"Are you suggesting that whomever is living in this grave is connected to the dead woman?" she asked. But the ghost only pointed again. Arachne turned around, bent down, and gazed down at the still wooden coffin that laid deep within the unfinished gravesite.

"Death... at least answer me this," she spoke. "Whose lonely grave... is this?" Lightning struck, and the illuminating light allowed her to see the engraved words on the tombstone. What she saw made her jump back in horror, and crawled away. Her eyes were wide as they could be, and her entire body trembled, almost like she had been turned into jelly. She stared at the words written on that stone that was now plain and bare for her to see. The feeling of what I could only describe as unspeakable horror, captivated her and made her feel like she was about to be sick.

 _Here lies Arachne Gorgon._

 _Born on Feb. 7_ _th_ _, 1982. Died on Dec. 25_ _th_ _, 2017._

 _Rest In Peace._

She violently shook her head. There was no possible way of denying it. The irrefutable truth that _she_ was the dead woman. And this was _her_ own gravesite. To put salt on the wound, no on had come to her funeral. No one came to mourn her passing. Arachne Gorgon had died all alone by herself with no one to send her a farewell. Arachne turned and clutched at the ghost's jacket.

"Oh please, Death, no!" she cried as she felt a hitch in her voice. "Please, hear me out! I am not the woman I use to be! If I am passed forgiveness, then why do you still show me this?" Arachne wiped away the heavy tears from her face with the sleeve of her robe and sniffed.

"By my word, I promise you! I will change! I will honor Christmas and everything it stands for! I will keep it within my heart and I will not forsake the lessons that you and the others have taught me! I will right every single wrong that I have committed! Oh, Death, please! In the name of God, I am begging you! Please, spare me of this abysmal fate!" Suddenly, a strange noise caught her ears. She whipped around and heard eerie moans and cries coming from the dug-up grave. They grew louder and louder, until what Arachne saw shook her soul. Emerging from the grave were long spindly-fingered hands, and they all slithered towards Arachne like snakes. She looked up pleadingly at Death, who only continued to stare down at her as if she were a disgusting roach.

Before she could say anything, the hands grabbed her by the ankles and dragged her across the ground. She screamed in despair and tried desperately to pull herself away, to no avail. After reaching the hole, she held onto the ledge for dear life as the hands suddenly let go and disappeared. A feeling of relief washed over her, and she began to climb up, only to stop and look down at how deep the hole was. It was unnaturally deep, reaching to be about over fifteen feet below. A glowing red light shown at the bottom, revealing the coffin below. Suddenly, the lid of the coffin swung wide open, and fire and smoke shot out. Arachne stared in dismay and her mouth hung agape. She violently shook her head at this. She tried to climb back up, but her feet kept slipping against the slippery dirt. Desperation and fear grew as the fire below rose even higher until it barely touched her slippered feet. She looked up and now saw Death looming over with that same frown on his pale face.

"Please!" she cried. "Give me a chance! I will change! I promise, I _will_ change!" Death knelt to one knee and leaned closer while looking at her sternly with his ominously glowing yellow eyes. What Arachne heard next was the ghost who finally spoke for the first time since they met, but in a very whisper-like eerie tone that would send enough cold shivers all the way down someone's spine.

"Burn in Hell," he said slowly and coldly. Arachne stared up at him in shock and then, and she recalled what she had said the other day, that she would soon rather _burn in Hell,_ than help the poor _._ It would seem her wish had been granted.

"No, Death, no!" she called out. "I beg of you! Please, have mercy on me!" Suddenly, just before she thought her hands were about to slip, the ledge come apart and Arachne fell into what would now be her eternal damnation.

"I will change!" she screamed as she continued to fall. "I WILL CHANGE!"

And just like that, Arachne Gorgon fell into the fire-covered coffin below and into the smoky darkness of the fiery black abyss.

* * *

 **Wow. Just... wow. I don't think I've ever written something this dark and depressing before. There actually were a few times where I cried when I wrote the scene where Arachne realized Crona has died. It truly is a sad thing to experience; the adult fear of losing a beloved child to something terrible. But don't you all worry. Things will be better in the next chapter. And what did you all think? Do you all believe this could have been written better or like it the way it is? What ways do you want to see this story improve? Well, go ahead and give me your full opinions in your reviews. I enjoy reading your responses.**

 **I am going to release the final chapter next week, on Christmas Eve this coming Sunday. I'm sure you guys can wait, and trust me, it will be worth it. Until then, have a wonderful Christmas time. TTFN; Ta-Ta For Now. ;)**


	6. Chapter 6: God Bless Us, Everyone

**(I do not own Soul Eater, Soul Eater NOT!, or any other related names. All rights belong to Manga Entertainment, Madman Entertainment, Square Enix, and Atsushi Okubo)**

 **Please, remember to read, review, favorite, and follow.**

* * *

 **\- Chapter Six -**

 **God Bless Us, Everyone**

Arachne's eyes shot wide open and then screamed into the air as she sprung herself upwards from her bed. Beads of sweat descended down her brow and she breathed heavily. Her fear-stricken eyes darted everywhere, only to see that... she was not surrounded by engulfing flames, but back in her own bedroom that remained undisturbed. Her fireplace was still there, and so were her two wingback armchairs, her coat hanger, her bedside table, her bookcase that were still filled with another of her favorite books. And also, her bedcurtains remained where they were, untouched. Everything was still in place. A wave of excited relief washed over her. A small giggle irrupted from her throat until it grew into almost hysterical laughter. She was alive. She was in her own house, alive, not dead. But then, she froze when her grandfather clock chimed. She looked at it with surprise. It was nine o'clock. A sudden thought came to her. What day was it today?

She turned and rushed to her window and slid it all the way open and looked out. The warm morning sun loomed high and bright and the city church bells rang in the distance. And the roofs, as always, were covered in snow. Arachne gazed at all of this, with a wide-eyed expression and her mouth covered by both her hands. But this time, it was not an expression of shock, but an expression of overwhelming joy and excitement. A glorious feeling that she had not felt in very long time.

"It's... It's Christmas morning!" she nearly exclaimed. Indeed, Christmas morning it was. She had not missed it, she realized. The ghosts had actually given her a chance and they had done it all in one single night. Arachne closed the window and danced all around her bedroom. She did not know what to do, for she was light as a feather, happy as an angel, and merry as a young schoolgirl. She was truly overjoyed. A knocking came to her door and she bid whoever it was to enter inside, and in came her manservant, Mosquito.

"Lady Arachne?" he said. "I heard a terrible scream. Are you alri-" Mosquito was caught completely off guard as his mistress abruptly darted towards him and embraced him in a tight hug.

"Oh, Mosquito!" she said gaily, nuzzling into his chest. Before the confused manservant could get a single word out, Arachne grabbed his face and pulled him into a sudden yet firm kiss. Mosquito's eyes shot wide open in surprise. At first, he tried to struggle, but Arachne was strong and kept her lips locked solidly onto his, making the kiss last longer for almost about seven seconds. After finally pulling away, she gazed up at him with sultry-looking eyes.

"You handsomely sexy man, you." she said. Mosquito stared down at her with a shocked expression.

"My lady, wha-"

"Come on!" she cried with a laugh. "Dance with me!" She grabbed both of his hands, and she made him and herself hop dance. Mosquito tried to wrench his hands away and luckily succeeded. He backed away from her a step or two.

"Lady Arachne!" he cried out. "Have you lost your mind?!" Arachne merely looked at him with a dreamy-looking countenance and a smile and then with a giggle. Scared and unsure of what to do, Mosquito looked at her wearily.

"Are you... " he hesitated. "Are you drunk?" Arachne giggled again like a little girl, as she sat on the edge of the bed. She flashed another playful-looking smile at him.

"Yes, Mosquito," she said. "I am drunk. Drunk, with the feeling of joy." She then crossed her left leg over her other, giving Mosquito a very good view of the side of her upper thigh. At this, Mosquito averted his gaze and his face blushed with red.

"Come on, you," she said, as she leaned forward, grabbed his hands, and pulled him towards her and onto the bed until he was now on top of her.

"My Lady!" he objected. "I really must protest this behavior of yours!" She wrapped her hands behind his neck and giggled again, seductively this time.

"Oh, just shut up and kiss me again, you fool," With that, she pulled him yet again into another kiss. She then wrapped her bare legs around his waist, making doubly sure that he did not try to escape. Desperate, Mosquito grabbed her lower thighs and tried to push them away from each other to try and flee from her grasp. Seeing the perfect moment to take the advantage, Arachne pulled away from the kiss, licked her lips, and her smile became mischievous.

"Oooo... You want to feel my legs?" she teased with a snicker. "Mosquito, you naughty little horndog." At last, she finally let him go, and he sprang back up until he was on his feet again, completely flustered and confused by his mistress' sudden performance.

"Lady Arachne!" he chided. "Just what in the world has gotten into you?!" Arachne sat back up and sighed happily.

"I'm just kidding with you, Mosquito," she said. "I'm just kidding." After finally calming down, she carefully stood back up onto her feet and straightened herself out. She looked at her manservant almost nervously.

"And I apologize if I had scared you," she said. By the look on Mosquito's face, she concluded that "scared" sounded very much like an understatement to him. She began to twiddle her fingers timidly. "It's just that... I haven't been this happy for a very long time in years. It's as if a snuffed-out fire had been lit up inside me, and grew. A fiery feeling that just lifted a heavy burden off my back. A feeling that I had suppressed for far too long and forgot about." She looked away from Mosquito and the happy expression on her face disappeared and turned into a saddened frown. She gazed back to her manservant.

"Mosquito," she went on. "I don't know how to say this, but, I suppose I shall start small... I'm sorry," Mosquito furrowed his brow in confusion. Arachne slowly walked up to him and gently interlocked her hands with his.

"I take back every single horrible thing I said to you," she said, hanging her head low with shame. "It was wrong of me to treat you so wretchedly. What I had said to you the other day, it was completely inappropriate and uncalled for." She looked up at him with a sad but pleading appearance.

"If there is enough warmth within you," she continued, "would you find it in your heart to forgive this stupid, stupid woman?"

He looked deeply into her eyes and was surprised to see that she was genuinely telling the truth. But still, he could not believe what he was hearing. Was this really Arachne Gorgon that he knew? Was this truly the same woman he had faithfully served for years? The same terrible woman who reviled Christmas with a passion? To hear her come out and sincerely say she was sorry for all of her abuse towards him, he still could not be certain of. While waiting for his answer, she could not help of feel hopeless at what she thought he would say instead, Arachne hung her head low and felt like she was about to cry. But then, she felt a finger on her chin, and her head lifted back up to meet his gaze. Mosquito looked at her and made a smile of his own.

"Yes, my lady," he muttered, placing his hands on her shoulders. "I forgive you." With that, gladness overwhelmed her. It was as if another piece of weight had been lifted from her heart. She embraced him once more, and for once, he welcomed it and hugged her back. Tears of joy, poured down her face and stained Mosquito's suit jacket, but he did not mind this at all.

"Thank you," she tremblingly whispered. "Thank you so much." After about a minute or two of this amazing moment, a realizing thought came to Arachne. Mosquito noticed this.

"Is everything alright, my Lady?" he inquired.

"My goodness, Mosquito!" she almost exclaimed. "I nearly forgot! Today is Christmas!" With that, she separated from him and excitedly rushed to her dresser drawer, pulling them open, and rummaging through her clothes.

"Leave me for a moment! I must hurry and get dressed! You should do the same, for we must be ready!"

"Ready for what, madam?" Arachne paused and looked at her manservant with a thrilled smile.

"We are going Christmas shopping," she stated. "And before the day is done, I've got some loose ends I wish to fix... What are you waiting for? Go, man! Go!" With this, Mosquito hastily went for the door, but before he had the chance to shut it, Arachne stopped him by calling out to him.

"One more thing!" she said. Mosquito waited.

"Yes, my Lady?"

"I will repay you in any way I can, to make up for my behavior," she stated, and then shot him a lovingly tender smile. "Thank you so much, for putting up with me after all these years."

Mosquito flashed her a smile of his own, bowed his head, and then finally left the room, leaving Arachne in her own privacy. After a while, she was now fully dressed along with a red coat that included white fur on the collar and sleeves and buttons. After retrieving her cane, both she and Mosquito exited the mansion and at last got out into the bright and snowy streets of Death City. At every person she came across, she greeted them with a cheerful "Merry Christmas!" or "Happy New Year!" or "Have a wonderful holiday!" At every child she came to, she patted them on the heads and wished them all the same good health. Everybody had become very confused by what they had seen and the question that ran through their minds were the same, just like Mosquito's use to be.

They all became dumbstruck and confused to see that Lady Arachne Gorgon, the most wealthiest and most abhorrent woman in Death City, behave so cheery and joyous, wishing everyone that she walked passed a very Merry Christmas. They were even more surprised to see her wear a bright and colorful red coat instead of the usual bleak and macabre appearance that she had become associated with for so long. What really broke the ice for them was when she came across a large group of carolers singing Joy to the World, and offered them a large wad of $650 dollars, in cash. After that, she gaily wished them a Merry Christmas. As she continued to walk down the city street, humming to the tune of Deck the Halls, with Mosquito following suit along side her, she inhaled a deep breath of fresh air and exhaled it out. After that, she turned to Mosquito.

"Such an amazing day today, wouldn't you say so, Mosquito?" she asked. Mosquito smiled.

"Why, I could not agree more, my dear Lady Arachne," he answered.

With that, she wrapped her left arm around his right and beamed at him affectionately. As they went on through the streets, they came to the marketplace where they were selling food and wares for tonight's Christmas dinner. The marketplace looked just like how Arachne saw it when she was visited by Eibon. The people smiling and the children playing in the snow, and the giant Christmas tree that was surrounded by the magnificent choir. Arachne spotted the goose and the large turkey that hung by the window of the market, and of course, some of the folks passing around flyers for tonight's Christmas church service.

But what caught Arachne's eye next filled her with fear, not terror, but more of a nervous kind of fear, when a child is afraid to tell the truth after being caught in a misbehaving action. Standing in front of one of the stalls were the three familiar faces from the Death City Charity Foundation; Justin Law, Sid Barrett, and Marie Mjolnir. She turned to Mosquito and gave him some money. She asked him to go buy the turkey and then return to her. Mosquito was at first confused, but when he too saw Marie, Justin, and Sid, he finally understood. He gazed down at Arachne's worried expression, and placed an assuring hand on her shoulder, smiled, and encouraged her on.

And with that, off he went to the store for the turkey, leaving Arachne alone by herself for the first time, without her manservant to accompany her. Feeling more confident now from her manservant, Arachne, strode up behind the trio, whom she gladly had not noticed her yet until a few seconds. Cautiously, she loudly cleared her throat to get their attention, which surprisingly worked. The three turned around and saw the very woman that they wanted to see the least. She stood there with a nervous smile and then nodded lightly.

"Um, hello," she said, almost stuttering. "It's, uh, nice to see you three again. And a Merry Christmas to you as well." Sid, Justin, and Marie, upon recognizing the woman before them, stared at her.

"Madam Gorgon?" spoke Justin, confusion written on his face.

"Yes, that is my name," Arachne said. "And you're all probably thinking that I'm the last person you wanted to see right now." To Marie Mjolnir, this was a huge understatement. She flashed her a dirty look.

"Just what are you doing here?" Marie grunted. Arachne grabbed the neck of her cane and twisted it nervously, and then bit the bottom of her lip. After finally calming down and returning to her composer, she spoke again.

"I guess that, the first thing I want you all to know is that..." she paused. "There are no words to describe how sorry I am for what had happened yesterday," Marie sneered at her words.

"And you expect us to believe that?" she said, not having faith in for a minute of what Arachne had said. "Don't you have somewhere important to be at rather than mock us with your presence? Hmpf. Come on, boys. Let's go somewhere less... dreary." Before the three could get the chance to leave, Arachne stopped Marie by grabbing onto her shoulder.

"No, please hear me out!" she pleaded. "Please, just listen to what I have to say. It will only take one minute, I assure you." Hesitating for a moment, the three allowed her to speak. After taking in a huge breath, Arachne looked at the three with guilt written all over her face.

"First, I just want to say to you all how sorry I truly am for the way I had behaved the other day," she said and then shook her head as the memories of yesterday afternoon flooded her brain. "It was unacceptable, uncalled for. I should never have acted out like that. You see, last night, I've been doing a lot of... _soul-searching_ , and have come to the conclusion that hurting you should never have been my priority." She then turned to Marie.

"But you, Miss Mjolnir," she went on. "You were the worst that I had deeply offended. You have every reason and the right to be upset with me. And I deserve it. What I had said to you... about the poor, about them not being worth it. I was wrong. So very wrong. Those people are worth everything in the entire world. They are starving and freezing out there in the streets, and they need our help now more than ever. There are single mothers and fathers out there with their sons and daughters barely able to keep warm. Struggling veterans unable to live a normal civilian life. Children eating scraps of food straight from garbage cans. They are living in tents and filthy mattresses with nothing to protect them from the bitter cold. My dear Miss Mjolnir, this cannot go on."

Marie truly could not believe what she was hearing. Was this woman being absolutely serious right now? Was this the very same Arachne Gorgon she had encountered the other day on Christmas Eve? The disdainful woman who said that she would soon rather _burn in Hell_ than donate any help she could give to the poor?"

"And second, if there is anything, anything at all, to make up for my misdeeds," Arachne continued, and then an idea came to her. "Well, about that donation you asked for. I would like you to put me down for..." Here, Arachne leaned forward and whispered into Marie's ear. Her eyes shot wide open and let out a huge gasp.

"My goodness!" she almost cried. Sid and Justin stared at her with great concern. Marie turned to them and whispered whatever Arachne had just said, to them. They too gasped in surprise.

"Heaven above!" said Sid. "Are you serious?"

"Madam Gorgon, that much?" said Justin. Arachne smiled delightfully.

"And not a single penny less," she stated. "And also, I want you to give my full regards to the poor. Let them all know that it was Arachne Gorgon who did it." Marie stared at her flabbergasted.

"Madam Gorgon," she uttered. "I... I really don't know what to say." Arachne raised an assuring hand.

"Don't say anything, please," she said. "It's the least I can do after the way I treated the three of you."

"Thank you!" spoke Justin nearly excitedly, grabbing Arachne by the hand and shook it. "Thank you so much for this kind deed, Madam Gorgon. You have no idea how much this means to us." But then, he paused and his smile wavered.

"But... I wish... Now I wish that there was something we could give _you_." Upon hearing this, Marie beheld her own red scarf that she wore and then smiled as an idea came to her. She undressed it from her neck and offered it to Arachne, who carefully took it and stared down at it in her hands with a growing disbelief. She gazed back up at Marie.

"For me?" she asked. "A gift for me?" The blonde nodded her head. Looking back down at the scarf, Arachne lifted it up and wrapped it around her neck. A wave of emotion crossed over her entire body and she felt like she was about to cry for the umpteenth time. No one had ever offered her a gift before. A kind and generous gift, offered to a loathsome wretch like her. She looked back up at Marie.

"Thank you," she muttered. Emotion took control over her spirit and she grabbed Marie's hand and smiled. "Thank you. Fifty times, thank you so much. God bless you all, and a Merry Christmas. I will never forget this."

After that, Mosquito returned to his mistress' side, now holding the large turkey he had bought and paid for in his hands. As soon as they had the turkey, Arachne came up with an idea, but it was an idea she could not do alone. With the help of Sid, Marie, and Justin, they went through almost every market that sold the best food they had; pumpkin and apple pies, suckling pig, cans of cranberry sauce, chestnuts, you name it. And all of it, Arachne clarified to the trio, was going to her sister, Medusa. And with that, she gave Marie, Sid, and Justin the directions to Medusa's house.

"And if she asks where the food had come," Arachne explained. "tell her that it was an old friend."

And with that, the three of them hurried on over to the address, the bags of the groceries and the turkey that she bought along with them. As Arachne and Mosquito made their way to the city church, she then bought a beautiful green scarf along the way and wrapped it around Mosquito's neck. The manservant smiled, bowed his head, and thanked her. Upon seeing these sudden actions, the city folk could not help but watch her every move with curiosity, wondering what was it that caused the ever so bitter and melancholy Arachne to become so cheery and exuberant. It was as if she had become a completely different person, like something had changed within her and reformed her spirit(which unbeknownst to them did actually happen).

And so, Arachne, along with Mosquito beside her, continued on her merry way and came upon the steps of the city church.

* * *

 **10:12. In the morning.**

It was peaceful and quiet in the Albarn house, now that everybody had just about finished opening their presents. Spirit Albarn, dressed in his black and green pajamas holding a mug of rich hot chocolate with marshmallows, sat next to his wife Medusa on the living room coach, his left arm wrapped around her, and she snuggled closely up to the side of his left breast. Spirit took a small sip of his hot chocolate and allowed the rich flavor to cascade down his gullet. After that, he let out a big sigh.

"Another Christmas has come and gone," he uttered.

"Well, I wouldn't say it's over," Medusa said. "We still need to get ready for dinner though, and the party as well."

"Oh, that's right," He took another sip of his hot coco. "So, you got what you've always wanted?" Medusa tightened her arms around her husband's waist and smiled brightly.

"Oh yes," she answered. "And you too?" Spirit nodded his head.

"I'll treasure that bowling ball for years to come," he said. "Oh wait, I almost forgot something."

After setting aside the hot chocolate on top of the reading desk to his right, Spirit lifted up his arm from Medusa and dug into the pocket of his pajamas. Medusa furrowed her brow in curiosity but then morphed into a surprised face. From out of Spirit's pocket was a small box with a flip up lid, all of it made out of a nice red leather. With ease, Spirit opened the lid and revealed a golden bracelet underneath. The bracelet had three small white diamonds and some engraving that said, "For the love I treasure." Spirit easily slipped it through Medusa's right hand and it fit comfortingly around her wrist.

"Spirit, it's gorgeous," Medusa said astonishingly. "But, it looks really expensive."

"But do you like it?" Medusa looked up at her husband and then smiled sweetly.

"I love it," she declared. She gazed back down at the bracelet lovingly. "It's the most beautiful thing I had ever seen."

"Merry Christmas, sweetheart," And Medusa wished onto him the same thing, and gave him a firm kiss on the lips. As they were about to relax, as they gazed up at the beautiful Christmas tree that still stood next to the fireplace, a sudden knock came upon their front door. The two turned around and looked at the door. Just who could that be? Spirit lifted himself up from the couch and approached the door, peeking into the little peephole.

"Who is it?" Medusa asked with concern. Spirit turned to meet her gaze.

"It's Marie and the guys," he said. Medusa beckoned him to let them in.

After Spirit did so, they were met with the clear and gracious presence of Marie, Sid, and Justin standing outside on the patio, carrying bags of groceries. They each gave him a hello and a hug and wished him a Merry Christmas and then did the same thing with Medusa. After that, the three placed the bags of food onto the dining room table. Seeing this gave Spirit the sense of curiosity.

"So, guys, if you don't mind me asking," he started. "What's the food for? Is there a special occasion?"

"It's all for you," explained Sid, after turning to Spirit.

"Aw, you shouldn't have," said Spirit with a feeling of gratitude.

"Oh, we didn't buy this," Justin infirmed suddenly. Spirit's smile disappeared.

"Wait, you three didn't get any this stuff?" Spirit asked with a confused look. Marie, Sid, and Justin shook their heads.

"Nope, someone else did," said Marie. Now, it was Medusa's turn to be confused.

"And just who is that someone?" she questioned. Marie looked at Sid and Justin, and then flashed her a kind smile.

"Let's just say that an old friend of yours thought about you," Marie said, "And wanted to give you all a proper Christmas dinner."

Once everything had been settled, the three wished them a Merry Christmas and then bid the pair farewell, exiting out of the front door and shutting it. Spirit turned to Medusa with a confused expression.

"An old friend?" he inquired. Medusa only shrugged her shoulders.

"I haven't the foggiest idea," she said. "Do you think it was Stein?"

"It could have been Joe," Spirit spoke. "Or Azusa maybe?"

"Well, whoever it was," Medusa went on, as she moved over to Spirit and embraced him. "I am very much glad this happened. And God bless the kind soul who did it."

And just like that, the pair put away the food to get ready for their Christmas dinner. As time passed, at about 5:55 in the afternoon, Spirit, Medusa, Crona, and Maka set up the dining room table and placed the food that was given to them on top. Their table had more than what they were originally planning on having, for it was enough to feed almost six people. _Guess I don't have to drive around and find that cranberry sauce,_ Spirit mentally spoke.

"May we say Grace?" Medusa said. The family all folded their hands, bowed their heads, and then closed their eyes. But before Medusa had the chance to get a single word out, a knocking came upon their door once again. They all turned to the direction of the front door in confusion. _Wonder who that could be?_ Spirit thought.

"I'll get it," he said. He lifted himself from his seat and walked on over to investigate. He took a peek through the peephole and was shocked to see the one person he thought he' never see appear on his doorstep.

"What is it, sweetie?" Medusa asked. Spirit slowly turned his gaze over to his wife, a bewildered expression written all over his face.

"... It's your sister," he said. Medusa's eyes widened and nearly let out a gasp.

"Arachne?" she wondered. "Arachne's here? She's really here?"

"What should we do?" Spirit asked. A bewildered Medusa turned to Crona and Maka whose looks offered her the same question. She could not believe it. Her sister had actually come? Was she really here for dinner? Medusa turned back to Spirit, finally finding her answer.

"I suppose we just let her in,"

Hesitantly, Spirit twisted the knob of the front door and slowly and carefully opened the door until it was now wide open, and he came face to face with his sister-in-law, Arachne Gorgon, standing outside on the patio, along with Mosquito by her side, both of them carrying small bags filled with four wrapped presents. Medusa rubbed her eyes and then blinked a few times to try and see if she was either dreaming or not. If this was a dream, then this was the most realistic dream she had ever witnessed. As happy as she had felt seeing that her sister had at last come to their Christmas dinner, which would have been Arachne's first in years, Medusa could not help but feel a little nervous at the same time. What was she about to say? Or do? Ironically, Arachne was thinking of the exact same thing, and the difference was that she was a lot more nervous than they were.

"Um... Hello, Spirit," she muttered. "Um... May I come in?"

"Uh, sure," Spirit said. He stepped aside and allowed Arachne and Mosquito to walk in side. There, she confronted the rest of her family; her nephew, Crona. Her step-niece, Maka. Ans her own sister, Medusa. All three, including Spirit stared at her, feeling very awkward because of her presence. Arachne cleared her throat and then nervously fiddled with her fingers.

"It's nice to see you, everyone," she uttered. "I've, uh, come to dinner... If you will have me." The most terrible part of this experience was the wait. Spirit, Medusa, and the children remained where they were, staring at her, as if they were all frozen in time. For what seemed like an eternity as this agonizing wait was starting to feel like, the ice had finally shattered. Medusa shot up from her seat.

"Well of course we will have you!" she exclaimed happily as she darted towards her, followed by Maka and Crona, who were also very much pleased to see their aunt come to their house for the first time in forever.

A wave of relief consumed Arachne and her beating heart was now at ease. The fear of rejection had vanished from her being in a second. Before she knew it, she and Mosquito sat on the left side of the table close to Medusa, while Crona and Maka sat on the left side close to Spirit. After picking up where they had left off, finishing their prayers, the family ate away and talked and laughed, and carried on. But for some reason, Arachne felt like there was something missing. Like something had not been cleared up. Luckily, Spirit must have read her mind and spoke, which Arachne secretly was glad he did.

"Um, I don't mean to be rude or anything," he said to Arachne, "But, Medusa told me yesterday, that you made it very clear that you yet again had no intention of coming over for Christmas." Medusa shot him a look, but Arachne stepped in and said to her that he was right. She gazed at her brother-in-law, and made a mildly sad-like expression.

"Yes, Spirit," she clarified, "I did. And I made other things clear as well, that Christmas was a waste of time and money, a false and commercial festival. If I had gone the distance even farther, I would've also said that Christmas was, well, a humbug." Crona and Maka could not help but snicker at the reference. Arachne then turned to Medusa, who remained seated next to her.

"I've come here for three reasons. One, I have been thinking long and hard about what you said the other day Medusa," She placed both of her hands onto her sister's right hand, "You were right, and I wish to beg for your forgiveness, for the things I had said about Christmas. _That_ was a humbug."

"My second reason is..." Arachne paused. "... Is that, I want to patch things up with you, Medusa. I'm very, very sorry, for not being with you and your family, like I should have. It's just that... Well, I guess it was because... I was also jealous of you, that you have a wonderful husband and two amazing children, while I had nothing. Nothing but my wealth and wine to drown out the pain. And my third and final reason is that... The other reason I hated Christmas, was because of the pain and torment that it had brought onto me. Our stepmother, Clara, sending me away, not seeing my family in so long, our father passing, my old boyfriend dumping me, and... and..."

Arachne began to feel a lump get caught in her throat, unable to bring herself to say the next thing, and her cheeks began to turn red.

"Shaula?" Medusa finished. Arachne nodded her head.

"I was angry, Medusa," she whimpered. "I was furious, at the entire world. At God for letting these things happen in my life. At Shaula, for dying and leaving me alone. And at myself, for not doing anything about it." Medusa placed her free hand on top of Arachne comfortingly, as the older Gorgon sister continued to cry.

"I know, sis," Medusa assured comfortingly. "I know... The feeling is terrible. Horrible even. But what you need to understand, Arachne, is that they're just feelings. You cannot help having them any more than you can help breathing. And sometimes, it's alright to have these feelings, – as long as you don't let them control you. And you know what? Not a day goes by where our time with Shaula do not ever appear in my thoughts, and yes, it will always break my heart knowing that she's no longer with us."

"But I've learned to cope with the loss," Medusa continued, "and have kept moving forward, not just for her sake, but for Crona's and for my family's. It's what Shaula would've wanted us to do. It's what she would've wanted _you_ to do as well. You don't have to mourn her all by yourself anymore, Arachne. We are your family, and you will never be alone. We can mourn her together, you and I, and Crona too." Arachne sniffled and relaxed a bit.

"And Spirit and Maka?" Medusa nodded her head with a smile.

"Absolutely." said she. "Sometime this week, we can all go visit her grave and catch up on old times. What do you say, big sister? Would you like to do that?" Arachne smiled at her sibling.

"Thank you, Medusa," she said. "I would love that very much."

And right there, Arachne and Medusa made amends and carried on with Christmas dinner. After it was over, everyone cleared the table and put away the leftovers. Here, Arachne had given the presents she had brought and gave each one of them their respective own. Maka opened hers up first and excitement consumed her. It was a leatherbound edition of the bestselling classic The Dark Side of the Moon, by Lorda Donsany.

Maka got up and gave Arachne a hug, telling her that this was what she had always wanted. Crona opened his present and he got the boxset of William Shakespeare's Star Wars by Ian Doescher.(Yes, it actually exists.) The boy thankfully smiled at his aunt and hugged her as well. Spirit's present consisted of the original Death Wish Trilogy, starring Charles Bronson. Medusa, however, got a present that was different from the others; in her hand was an octagonal-shaped locket. She opened it and found a picture of Arachne, Shaula, and herself from when they were younger. Medusa felt like she was going to cry and she gave her sister a warm and tender hug, which Arachne did not resist. She told her older sibling how much she loved it, and promised that she would cherish it until the day she goes to Heaven.

Sometime later, Spirit and Arachne got into a conversation while drinking some eggnog. Erstwhile in their chat, Spirit eventually brought up his ex-wife, Kami, and said how she used to be quite an amazing woman and mother to Maka, so full of life and energy, and had quite the temper, being described like an angry bear. He talked about how much he fondly remembered the good times he had with her; about how they first met in middle school, about what her favorite flavor of ice scream was, and what her favorite hobbies were. Arachne could not help but ask him what led to their divorce, but Spirit only shook his head and said that it was a very touchy subject that he very much did not like to talk about. Medusa then called to him to go and take the trash out, and he said that he would do so in a short minute.

As he started to make his way, Arachne spoke again with curiosity.

"Spirit?" she asked him.

"Yeah?"

"Where is Kami now?" Spirit gazed down at his glass of eggnog and sighed. He gazed his blue eyes back at her.

"The same place where Shaula is, Arachne," he muttered. "In all honesty... I've got some catching up to do as well."

In a few hours tops, the evening party had begun, and this time, Arachne was part of it all; the games, the celebration, she was even there to see Patty and Hiro kiss under the mistletoe. Here, she met Joe and Azusa, and talked about the good old days when they were in school. And yes, she was even there to watch Crona sing for all of them, to hear him dedicate it to his beloved aunt, and sang Away in a Manger. Arachne's heart lifted with pride and happiness, to see her dear nephew have such an amazing talent. After his brilliant performance, everyone clapped and cheered, and then Crona said the famous words.

"God bless us, Everyone."

And of course, came the dreadful cough, and Crona then brushed it off and said he needed some water. Arachne grabbed Medusa by the arm and sneaked them both into the kitchen. Out of ear shot from everybody, Arachne suggested to Medusa that after tonight, she needed to take Crona immediately to the hospital first thing in the morning. Medusa looked at her confusingly, but Arachne told her to trust her. Unsure of what to do after hearing that, Medusa decided to nod and take her word for it. Back to the party, Spirit got everyone's attention and raised his glass.

"I would like to make a toast," he announced. "A toast to having a wonderful Christmas this year. To having friends who care, to having a roof over our heads, and to our glorious Creator for blessing us with His love. But just as importantly, I would like to make a toast... to Arachne Gorgon, for coming here and joining us for the first time in years. For celebrating Christmas with us, and being apart of our family. And to whichever one of you, for giving us a proper Christmas dinner this afternoon. The turkey was exceptionally wonderful, and we will never forget your kindness." Upon hearing this, everybody looked at him confused. Spirit frowned puzzlingly.

"Wait," he said. "None of you guys bought us the turkey and the food?" They all shook their heads. Spirit asked Joe, who only shook his head. He asked Azusa, but she too said no. He asked each and every one of them, but again, they all did not give him the same response; not Tsubaki or Masamune, not Liz or Patty, not Soul, Stein, Mifune, nobody.

"You guys mean to tell me that none of you gave us the Christmas dinner that we just had this afternoon?" he asked. "If not, then who did?" A throat-clearing sound came from behind him. Spirit turned around to see Arachne with a big smile on her face. Surprise covered his face. Even Medusa was just as surprised as her husband was.

"It was _you_?" he nearly cried.

"You sound shocked," Arachne stated, her smile never faltering.

"Arachne," Medusa stepped in. "We don't know what to say." Arachne raised her hand up in a gesture that told them to remain silent, but not in a mean of course, no this time.

"Don't say anything at all," she said. "It was the lease I could do to make up for the other day." Medusa felt like she was going to tear up.

"Oh Arachne," she said as she embraced her sister lovingly in a hug. Arachne made no attempt to resist and returned the affection, wrapping her arms around Medusa. She then turned to all of the people who looked at her.

"By my word, I promise, I will right my wrongs, and help in any way I can," She turned to Medusa.

"You will take Crona to the hospital, right," she whispered in her sister's ear. Medusa nodded her head.

"Yes," she said. "I will."

And with that, the party continued until the party had finally come to an end, and everyone went home. The next day, at exactly 9:00 AM, the family drove Crona to the hospital. For about a few minutes in the waiting room, Spirit and Medusa were approached by one of the doctors, and what he had told them they could not believe what they had found, for Crona was showing the early signs of developing pneumonia. The doctor said that they were lucky to have done this, for had they waited days later, it could have gotten pretty worse. The pair could not believe what they and just heard. Right under their noses, Crona was sick. They even feared that they might not be able to pay the medical bills, but Arachne assured them that she would take care of everything. Once the doctor had left, after saying that the boy was going to be alright, Spirit and Medusa turned to Arachne with astonishment.

"Just how in the world did you know Crona was sick?" Spirit asked bewildered. Arachne only smiled.

"Let's just say that some friends from above told me in my sleep the other night," she said. Medusa smiled at her.

"Arachne," she spoke. "Once again, you have completely surprised us."

In the end of it all, Arachne had done much better than her word. She did all the things that she had promised, and infinitely more. She had contributed so much to the good people of Death City. She helped the poor find better homes, and mended the bond between her and her sister Medusa, and with the rest of her family. And surprisingly, she even paid a visit to her old boyfriend Free. The two reconciled and became the best of friends once more. It was an astounding miracle, people said, that because of her kind actions, Arachne had won the hearts of so many and had become the most beloved person in the entire city. And though, there were some that still refused to believe that she had changed for the better, Arachne had simply payed them no mind.

And to young Crona, who had lived and was very healthy again, Arachne became like a second mother to the young boy. Truly, she had become a very good friend, a good sister, and a loving aunt. And, she had also become a very brilliant wife, for in the time to come, Mosquito had asked for her hand in marriage and she happily accepted his proposal without a question. From then on, it was also said that she knew how to keep Christmas well. Very well indeed. May that be truly said of us, and _all_ of us.

And so, as Crona Gorgon Albarn had said...

God bless us, everyone.

 **\- The End -**

* * *

 **At long last, the final chapter is here. It's been a fun ride, folks, just as much as it was fun to write. I hope you all had a wonderful time reading this, laughing, crying - either in sadness or joy - It has been a blast and I enjoyed writing this story for all you guys to enjoy. I actually thought I wasn't get this done on time for Christmas Eve. And lo and behold, here it is, completed and ready to be read and loved.**

 **Don't forget to send me a review and tell me your full opinion on what you think of this chapter and the entire story as a whole and about what could be improved. Oh, and if you all spotted the references, please tell me in the form of reviews.**

 **And so, with all of that said, may you all have a splendid Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year. And God bless us, everyone! See you around ;)**


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